Halloween Spirits
by hpenchantress
Summary: Stressed out, Wyatt tries to relax, which is made difficult by the arrival of an evil spirit and an attractive young woman. When someone in his family is put in danger, how far is Wyatt willing to go to prove himself worthy of the title he is to be trusted with? COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Halloween Spirits**

_Feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders, Wyatt seeks to relax as much as possible. However, it soon proves more difficult than he realizes when a spirit comes to town, intent on wreaking havoc, followed by a young woman who seems to catch his eye. When a member of the family is put in danger, how far is Wyatt willing to go to defeat the spirit and prove himself to the young woman and to the magical community?_

(A/N) Hello guys, and welcome to my third story in the League of Brothers series! I hope you really enjoy it, and, no worries, you don't have to have read the other stories in the series to understand this one. Although, I do recommend you do read them 'cause they're awesome! Now, after that shameless self-publicizing, I have something important to say:

Disclaimer: I do not own the Charmed series. If I did, it would still be going on, and this wouldn't be merely a story.

And, with that said, onto the story! I hope you guys enjoy it!

* * *

Chapter One

The air in the room was murky from the many cigarettes being smoked at the party. On the dance floor, people undulated to the sound of loud music. A bar in the middle held several glasses of drinks that were very obviously not soda, catering to the many young men and women who were enjoying themselves.

Or, at least, most of them were. One of them, a boy who couldn't be anything other than a freshman at the upper-classmen college party, watched the dancers with bright green eyes, strangely serious despite the festive environment. Unlike the others surrounding him, he was obviously not completely drunk, as his movements still seemed certain, his sight keen.

The bartender, a much older man who had been hired to serve at the college party, walked over to the boy, rubbing a glass with a dirty cloth, trying to clear it of the bright orange lipstick that was clearly staining the rim. "Do you want anything else?" he asked in a gruff voice, eyeing the glass that the brown-haired young man was cradling in one of his hands. "Maybe something a bit stronger?"

Chris shook his head. He was the designated orber after all. The brothers had come to this decision some time ago, when they'd both gotten completely smashed at a party and had then tried to use their powers to get home. It had been extremely difficult to explain to their mother why they had finally arrived back at the manor not only unable to walk in a straight line, but reeking of the city dumpster. Like other people needed designated drivers, the brothers would keep each other safe by having a designated orber. Whoever of them it was, he would be able to drink, but only enough to feel slightly buzzed and still have a clear enough head to help get the other home.

This time, it was Chris's turn, which meant that he got to enjoy the sight of Wyatt and all of his friends reach the stage when everything was extremely hilarious, and then have to watch over his brother as he realized how stupid he'd been to drink the night before. On the one hand, it was better, as Chris usually got to laugh at his older brother acting so idiotically, but it on the other, it meant that Chris couldn't really enjoy himself as much when everyone had stopped making sense.

Wyatt was approaching that stage quickly. He was on the dance floor, surrounded by several women, not all of them juniors as he was. They stuck close to him as he tried to dance, not seeming to mind when he stepped on their feet in his drunken haze, or danced out of beat. That was one of Wyatt's charms, and Chris huffed as he watched the girls hover over his brother. He had no shortage of them himself, looking the way he did, but somehow, Wyatt seemed to handle it so effortlessly, that it made one more thing that Wyatt was better at than Chris.

However, at the moment, nobody could judge how good Wyatt was at doing anything. He'd been saying something to one of the dancers for a while, but when she shook her head at him and disagreed for the third or fourth time, Wyatt raised his voice, his words slurred by the amount that he had to drink. "No, seriously! I can move things without touching them!" He raised his hand, and Chris saw that it was time to leave.

The younger man rushed to his brother just as twinkling lights began surrounding one of the bottles sitting on the bar. "Really, Wyatt, you know you can't do that," Chris said, grabbing the blond man's hand and pulling it down. He glanced at the disappearing bottle worriedly, hoping that nobody was noticing, and continued talking. "You've tried that trick a bunch of times and nothing ever happens," he said, convincing the hazy-minded people around them that Wyatt was just being silly. "Sorry guys, but I think it's time I take my brother home, before he swears he can fly, or something!"

Laughter accompanied the brothers as they headed to the door, the smaller one supporting his brother's larger frame. "Jeez, Wy, did you have to drink so much?" he complained, as Wyatt's breath managed to get in his face. "You smell like the inside of a liquor store."

"N-no," his brother slurred. "I don't wanna leave yet. Party's just getting started!" Wyatt made a tremendous effort to stand up straight and yell around the room. He looked back at the bar, where the older man was looking grateful that at last people were beginning to disperse. "Barman, another round!" Wyatt called, his words accompanied by a loud cheer from the crowd that had assembled to celebrate the Halloween weekend.

"No, Wyatt, we're going home," Chris said firmly, tugging on his brother's arm and leading him to the exit. In Wyatt's inebriated state, it wasn't too difficult to force him to leave, but the younger man was forced to half-carry him, which was a much harder task. "It's going to be hard enough telling Mom what we've been doing all night as it is," Chris murmured, imagining the look on Piper's face when they arrived. She would definitely not be happy with them, especially Chris, who would be blamed for not stopping his brother from exceeding the limit. Well, at least he'd managed to stop Wyatt before he blew the magical secret. Not that it would have mattered much. Because of how much the people at the party had drunk, they would probably not remember it the following day; and if they did, they would assume it was something that they had imagined.

As the boys staggered towards the exit, an older man detached himself from his viewing point near the wall and began to follow them, a strange silver gleam in his eyes. He watched the boys keenly, keeping only a few steps behind them. The brothers didn't see him, occupied as they were. Nobody at the party seemed to notice how the strange man was too old to be at a college party, and too well dressed to belong anywhere near that neighborhood.

However, people did notice when a young woman with disheveled strawberry-blond hair rushed into the room. She looked around frantically, ignoring a few wolf-whistles launched her way. She spied the older man and ran after him. She pushed her hand into her pocket and gripped the hilt of her dagger tightly.

* * *

(A/N) Ta da! The first chapter! And, it's the first time I've introduced the brothers in the first chapter too. Nice, huh? Now you don't have to wait until the third or fourth to catch a glimpse of them! Oh, and I figured it would make sense to have a 'designated orber'. Orbing must have a lot to do with the mind and envisioning where you're going. If you're drunk, you obviously can't do that very well.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Please let me know if you did by sending me a review! I love reviews! They're like gold to me, or even better! Thanks so much, and I'll see you next week with the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Wyatt's drunken singing was annoying Chris to no end. Usually, his brother didn't get as hammered as more unrestrained people tended to do, but that day, he hadn't realized that he'd consumed enough for three men until it had been too late. Partly, it was Chris's fault, for not monitoring his older brother like he should have been. He knew that Wyatt was way more stressed out now because of his Twice-Blessed and Future King of Magic duties, coupled with college, demons, and the nasty last few encounters with the Seer they'd had. All of which added up to the most powerful being in the world deciding to set his troubles aside as he downed several drinks which contained a mixture that should not have been made.

In fact, Chris was surprised that his brother was still conscious. If he had drunk that much, he would have passed out long ago, and yet Wyatt was still awake and _would not stop singing_! It probably helped that Wyatt was quite a bit larger than Chris, so it took a little more drink to knock him out completely; and while Chris was grateful that his brother was still able to stagger along on his own, his job would be easier if Wyatt was smaller and lighter.

As it was, not only was the singing getting on Chris's nerves, but the weight on his shoulders was slowly increasing as his brother lost more and more of his ability to stay awake. "Row row row yer boat," Wyatt kept humming. "Merly merly life ish but a dream!" Chris had absolutely no idea why his brother had decided to start singing that song, but he couldn't claim to understand Wyatt's mind at the moment, especially in the state it was. In fact, Chris was glad that he was outside of his brother's head, considering the terrible hangover the poor man would have tomorrow. Chris was grateful he wouldn't have to deal with that himself!

He pulled Wyatt into an alley, hoping that it was empty. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and Chris sighed as he nearly tripped over a homeless man who lay asleep on the middle of the sidewalk. That meant that the young man would have to find another place to orb his brother and himself home, as they could not risk being seen by a mortal. Although the homeless man would probably have stayed asleep, there was no guarantee that that would happen, and Chris was nothing if not cautious!

Pulling Wyatt along a few more steps, Chris finally reached an empty part of the street. The fading streetlight overhead illuminated both the boys as Chris prepared to use magic. Outside the small circle of light, the older man from the party waited. His teeth were bared, and his silver eyes seemed to glow in the dark. He appeared to be waiting for something as he stared at the younger men.

A retching sound was suddenly heard, and Wyatt doubled up, holding his stomach. Chris was pulled forward too, and he tried to duck out of his brother's arm. Unfortunately, Wyatt was now holding him too tightly, so he was forced to watch as his brother expelled most of what he'd drunk. "Oh, great, Wyatt," he commented. "Just what we needed."

Wyatt ignored Chris as he finished up. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, feeling too sick to realize what he was doing was terribly disgusting. He groaned and used his little brother to pull himself back into a standing position. "Chris," he mumbled. "I'm not feeling so good."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Chris replied, grimacing at the smell of his brother's mouth and the mess on the floor. "You did drink way more than you should have." His brother seemed to murmur an apology, which Chris rolled his eyes at. "Just don't do it again," he pleaded, before closing his eyes and preparing to orb out.

The brothers began to disappear in a swirl of bright orbs, making a faint jingling noise as they vanished. The man hiding nearby yelled and leapt forward, trying to catch the last lights as they twinkled out of sight. He was unsuccessful, however, and was left with only a handful of air.

A mist began to swirl out of the man's mouth, making him look as if he was exhaling a sort of vapor. The mist, however, seemed more solid and real as it twirled around the man's head and began to ascend. The strange silvery color glittered in the light from the streetlamp, and it rose to a certain height before it paused, almost watching the street.

A whizzing noise was heard, and the man blinked his surprised brown eyes as he felt something plunge into his chest. He collapsed face down, eyes still wide open, as the dagger that had stabbed him through his back destroyed his heart. A few fluttering breaths left his throat before he stopped breathing altogether.

The woman who'd rushed into the party stepped into the light. Under the lamp, it was obvious that she was not only extremely pretty, but she was quite young. She was dressed in dark jeans, almost black, dark leather boots, and a black shirt with a v-neck showing off some of her attributes. Her strawberry-blond hair was roughly cut and barely reached her chin, her brown eyes were deep but piercing. Both contrasted greatly with the soft features of her face.

The woman leaned down and pulled her dagger out of the man's back, wiping it clean on his clothes before using her foot to kick the prone body over. The dead man was forced onto his back, and the woman knelt down next to him, intent on one thing and one thing only. Quietly, she cursed the darkness for making it so difficult to see, and she pulled the man a little to her left so he would lie right under the light. Then, she peered into the man's eyes.

A breath roughly left her mouth. "Damn," she yelled. The man's irises were brown, and not the silver she was so desperately seeking. She had failed her task once again. Almost as if she'd heard something, she looked up, directly into the light, shielding her eyes with a raised hand. She noticed the last wisps of the silver vapor that had left the man's mouth only moments ago. Her other hand grasped the hilt of her dagger, and she pulled her arm back as if prepared to throw it.

The mist seemed to know what she intended to do, and it began to rise once more. It soon left the circle of light the lamp projected and faded into the darkness. The woman sighed, lowering her face as she stared at the dead man lying on the dirty ground. Carefully and methodically, almost as if she'd done it before, the woman tore at the man's clothing, pulling the coat down as if someone had held him back, and tearing the shirt as if someone had pulled him by it. She then searched in his pockets, finding a wallet. The card inside it said his name was Justin, and that he was only 34 years old. The woman dried a tear in the corner of her eye before pulling out all the money in the wallet and dropping it on the sidewalk.

Then, she walked away, leaving behind a body. The police would arrive eventually, and when they did, the cause of death would be determined as a mugging gone wrong. It was simple to fool mortals when they worked so hard to shield themselves from a truth they wouldn't understand.

-)-(-

A few feet away from the body in the streets, the mist was wafting along, close to the ground. It approached the sleeping homeless man, and seemed to hesitate slightly before continuing. It directed itself into the man's mouth and quickly entered, nearly pushed back by the foul breath that was being exhaled. As the mist entered the man's throat, he sat up, clutching at his chest. His blue eyes widened slightly before he blinked. When the lids of his eyes were opened again, the irises were a gleaming silver, the kind the other man's had been seconds before his death.

The homeless man stood up and walked over to the streetlight. He paused in the light, only inches away from the body. He sniffed the air, almost as if trying to catch a scent. Then, he set off with a brisk walk, seeming determined. He would not fail this time.

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(A/N) Ooooh, creepy, huh? Who is the woman? What is the mist? How will the Halliwell brothers get involved? Why is the strange man following them? Yup, a ton of questions, and they will be answered very very soon!

Oh, and I was so excited about the reception the first chapter got. Thank you, you guys. Thanks to everyone who added this to their Faves, or their Alerts, those who even added _me_ to their alerts. I'm so happy. Special thanks to those who reviewed: DarcieBiffo, tuxer, Fanycharmed, and a guest (I dunno who you are, but thanks!). Anyway, for those who don't know, I make sure to update my stories every Friday, so you have something else to look forward to besides the weekend! :) So, I'll see you guys next Friday, and if you enjoyed this chapter, make sure to leave me a review! Lemme know what you liked or didn't like! And I'll see you next week!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Wyatt was awoken by the throbbing in his head, the sharp pain forcing him to awake unpleasantly. As soon as he opened his eyes, he winced at the bright light coming in from the window. He waited a few moments, ignoring how his headache had worsened dramatically when the light had pierced his pupils, and then stood up. He groaned and put a hand on his stomach, which threatened to spill over its contents with any brusque movements.

The blond man paused for a minute, concentrating on taking deep breaths to settle his body into a better state, but it didn't exactly work. A faint smell of toast and coffee reached his nostrils and he was slightly awakened by the scent. He stumbled to his door, pulling the curtains on the window shut as he did so, and then began the long walk down to the kitchen.

With every step down the stairs, his whole body was jolted, and the pain in his head increased. With many moans and pauses, Wyatt finally made it to the ground floor of his house. Grateful that the harder part was over, he maneuvered through the living room and towards the kitchen. He thought about orbing the rest of the way there, but then decided that, considering how he was feeling then, it would probably not be a good idea to use any of his powers. He would just have to wait until he was feeling better.

"You look like hell," were the words that greeted him as soon as he stepped into the kitchen, squinting in the bright light but inhaling the delightful smells coming from the stove. There was coffee and toast, as Wyatt had been able to tell earlier, but there was also an expertly made omelet, jam, cheese melted onto pieces of bread, and fresh orange juice.

Wyatt looked up at Chris, who'd uttered the unfavorable comment. He opened his mouth to retort, grimaced, and closed it. "Thanks," he muttered instead, grabbing a chair and collapsing into it, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes, shielding them from further damage to the light. A clinking sound was magnified by Wyatt's headache, and he opened his eyes once more to see a steaming cup of coffee set right in front of him. Without any hesitation, Wyatt reached out and grabbed it, eager to get rid of the disgusting taste in his mouth.

He was so intent on the drink that he didn't notice that his mother was the one who'd set it there until she spoke. "Just how much did you drink last night, Wyatt?" she asked dangerously. She was no stranger to drinking, but her children doing so never stopped infuriating her. Not only were they breaking the law of their country by drinking underage, but she didn't appreciate them losing all control when they were inebriated, especially with the potential demon attacks at any time.

Wyatt shrugged, not willing to tell his mother how he'd lost count after the first hour. He noticed Chris snorting into his orange juice, while looking at Melinda meaningfully. She was seated at the table as well. Leo lowered the newspaper, eyeing his two younger children with a tired glance, and then turning to Wyatt. "I'll take it to mean that you had a nice time yesterday, then," he said. He tended to make less of a big deal about those sorts of things than Piper did, if only to provide more balance to the household. He knew what young adults were like, anyhow. After having been around for a much longer time than he was supposed to, he knew that teenagers would break the rules, despite everything that their mother told them. It was just something that he couldn't prevent, and as long as his children were careful, he wasn't going to yell at them… after all, Piper did that rather well herself.

Wyatt mumbled something incomprehensible, and Chris grinned widely, probably remembering something ridiculous that his brother had done last night. Melinda caught sight of Chris's face and she giggled. From looking at the pair of them, Wyatt could tell that Chris had spilled all of last night's events to their sister, which was why the couple was so amused.

Now that he was no longer being interrogated, Wyatt took a swallow of the dark coffee in his mug. It was quite hot, but the way that it woke him up and made him feel better beat the feeling of his tongue being scalded by the liquid. He inhaled and then set the cup down on the plate, already starting to feel better from the massive hangover he had.

"Here, bro, you might want this," Chris's voice said, and Wyatt glanced up to see a bottle of Advil flying his way. Instinctively, his shield was up, and the pill bottle bounced against it and landed on the floor, clattering loudly as the medicine inside it was shaken around. Wyatt groaned at the sound, and Chris looked at him, one eyebrow raised. "Seriously, Wy?" he asked, before using his telekinesis to lift the bottle from its place on the floor and back onto the table. Usually, he would have waited for Wyatt to do it, or stand up himself and pick it up. But, considering that Wyatt was feeling terrible, it was not likely he would bend down, and he needed the pills as quickly as possible.

"Hey, no magic at the table!" Piper said, exclaiming the often-repeated phrase. She set the pot of coffee in the midst of the dishes containing the many breakfast foods and sat down herself. She brushed her dark hair out of her face before serving herself and her oldest son something to eat. "I'm going to need you boys to run a few errands for me today," she said, carefully spooning up some jam and spreading it on Wyatt's toast. Piper knew her son was feeling really terrible, but that didn't mean that he could lie around the house all day, especially when they all had to get ready.

The phrase was met with groaning from both ends of the table. Both Wyatt and Chris were reluctant to run errands and have to do jobs around the house when they'd partied the night before and it was supposed to be their holiday. A high voice broke into the chorus of moans, as Melinda protested, "But, Mom! You promised that they would drop me off at Courtney's house to work on our Halloween costumes!" Both boys groaned even louder with that phrase, not eager to spend even the slightest while with Melinda and her really giggly friend.

"They'll drop you off on their way to the store," Piper said calmly, finishing with Wyatt's toast and beginning to eat breakfast herself. "I need you boys to get back early, so then we can all work on getting the house decorated." Chris grimaced at the thought of a whole afternoon spending intensive time with his family, working on making the whole manor 'scary'. His mother had gotten very competitive with the houses on the neighborhood, and every year at about this time, all her efforts were devoted to besting them and making the Halliwell Manor the most terrifying house on the block.

Wyatt began to eat his toast, frequently setting it down and gulping down more coffee. Undoubtedly, the bread was just what he needed, but some of the leftover queasiness made him prefer taking beverages than actually ingest solid food. Besides, if he was going to be in the car in his condition, which meant that Chris would be driving, it would be best if he didn't eat too much, lest there be a repetition of last night.

Melinda was satisfied with her mother's reply, despite her brothers' reaction. As long as she was able to get to Courtney's house without a problem, and without having to use magic to get there (since her mother had forbidden her to do so), she was happy. She planned on winning the homemade costume competition with an awesome outfit that she would stitch up with help from her friend's seamstress mother. She was sure to win!

Assured of her success, she chatted animatedly at the breakfast table, not noticing how both of her brothers were studiously ignoring her, and how her parents were actually talking about something completely unrelated to her costume topic. Melinda planned on getting a costume based on one of her favorite books, which had a magical creature that actually existed, so she could pay homage not only to the mortal Halloween, but show what magic there truly was in the world.

Wyatt blocked out the chatter as he downed his coffee and reached out to grab some more. He poured it into his cup, his hand shaking slightly. He rubbed at his forehead, still feeling the hangover beating at him. Hopefully the medicine would start taking effect soon, he had quite a day ahead of him.

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(A/N) Hello, everybody! Sorry about posting it just a tad later than I usually do, but I've been having a really crazy week. I'm back in school now, so classes are going to take up a lot of time, but, no worries, these updates will continue as usual!

You guys are so awesome, and I wanted to thank everyone who Alerted, Faved, and especially those who reviewed: Magic Lover, NoseInANovel (can't thank you enough for all the reviews!), and Fanycharmed. Thanks you guys, you are awesome!

Anyway, I'll see you next week with the next chapter. For now, I'll leave you with this chapter that's a little more lighthearted than the past ones. Trust me, though, the story will get quite stressful, eventually!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The homeless man who had been lying on the sidewalk the night before was standing in Prescott Street, across from the house numbered 1329. It was a large house, to be sure, and when the man closed his bloodshot silver eyes and took a deep breath, he could sense the magical energy flowing around and through the home. The people currently inside the house were powerful too, each radiating a magical aura too bright and magnificent to mistake them for anybody else but the Charmed family, the most magical good family in most worlds.

One aura in particular caught the homeless man's attention: a vivid aura, swirling with so much potential, magic, and a prophecy claiming him to be the most powerful witch of all. His silver eyes darted to the door of the house as it opened and let out three young adults. The blond man, from whom the aura was radiating, seemed uncomfortable and ill as he stumbled down to the van, not paying attention to the brown-haired boy and girl who followed him, laughing all the way. The blond man opened the door to the passenger seat and pulled himself inside, then closed the door and leaned his head wearily against the window. The others outside snickered quietly before getting into the car themselves. The other young man, with the brown messy hair, switched on the engine and began to drive away.

The homeless man grimaced as the car took a curve and drove out of sight. He needed a form of transportation to follow the magical beings through the busy streets of San Francisco. Walking would take too long, and there was no way of making sure that the man he was after would still be there. Cursing, he looked around himself, hoping to find an easy solution presented to him.

"Hey, you!" he heard a yell coming from nearby. "Get off my lawn! I just mowed it yesterday!" The homeless man turned to see a man dressed in an expensive looking robe yelling at him from a window. The homeless man smiled a toothless grin at the Charmed Ones' neighbor, and the angry man quickly withdrew from the window and was soon walking out of the front door. "Get out of here before I call the police!" he threatened. "This is a nice neighborhood, not somewhere where you can beg for scraps!"

The homeless man shuddered slightly, and a strange silver mist began to flow out of his mouth. The angry man's eyes widened, and he took a step back. The mist followed his direction, and quickly made its way up the man's nostrils and into his body.

The angry man, Mr. Jameson, blinked. His eyes, which had previously been dark, were now pure silver. He stared at the homeless man still standing in front of him with absolute distaste. The rag-dressed person was rubbing at his own eyes, seeming confused and sore. "Where 'm I?" he asked, beginning to look around his surroundings. This was the sort of place he never ventured into, since he knew he didn't belong. He looked at Mr. Jameson, standing before him. "Who 'r you?"

Mr. Jameson didn't answer, and simply cracked his fist against the side of the man's dirty head. The blue eyes rolled up into sunken sockets, and the poor man collapsed onto the ground, marring the once pristine lawn with a few spatters of blood from the cut bleeding heavily on his scalp.

Mr. Jameson smiled grotesquely before turning to look at the driveway. A smart blue car was there, and as the man searched through his pockets, he came across a set of keys. His eyes glinting, he pressed a button on the keys, to which the vehicle blinked in response. Without any sort of reaction, Mr. Jameson walked down to the driveway, opened the door of the car, and got in. He pulled the robe out of the way as he slammed the door shut, and then forced the keys into the ignition. The engine came to life with a purr, and the man wasted no time in setting the lever on 'Drive' and stepping on the gas. The car screeched as it took off in pursuit of the Charmed children.

-)-(-

Chris and Wyatt had dropped off Melinda at Courtney's house, which wasn't too far out of their way. Melinda had gotten out, promising to call them as soon as the costumes were finished so she could then show them off. The boys said they'd go see the costumes half-heartedly, neither of them particularly eager to spend ten minutes oohing and aahing over what would surely turn out to be a big mess. Mel tended to think big, but when the time actually came to putting her thoughts into practice, she usually had a bit of trouble. Luckily, that was happening less and less with magic, as Melinda was quite talented, but with the mundane stuff she still had issues.

Wyatt was grateful for the lack of chatter as Chris began to drive to the supermarket, the very long list of what their mother had asked them to buy lying on the dashboard in front of them. The list was only one page long, but both sides of the paper were completely covered with cramped handwriting of items that Piper thought were vital for the Halloween celebration in two days. She was even planning on throwing a party for everyone on the block, to which Wyatt was reluctant to go. He'd rather party with his college friends, and have the chance to set his worries at peace.

Chris fumbled slightly with the radio, and a loud song began to play. Wyatt moaned and used his magic to instantly lower the volume. Chris frowned. "You know you're not supposed to use your magic on Mom's car," he said warningly. The poor van had been through enough magical attacks already, and was threatening to give out if much more were to happen to it.

"What Mom doesn't know won't hurt her," Wyatt mumbled, rubbing at his eyes. "Besides, I have a massive headache, so I would prefer it to be quiet in here." The pills had helped a bit, but there was still a throbbing right behind the blond's eyes that made him feel very uncomfortable.

"You wouldn't have such a bad hangover if you hadn't gone crazy with the alcohol last night," Chris replied, glancing over at his tired brother briefly before turning back to the road in front of him. "Seriously, Wy, what possessed you to drink that much? I had to pull you out of there before you exposed magic!"

"You wouldn't understand," Wyatt grumbled, shielding his eyes from the sun that persistently shone through one of the windows, intent on worsening the pain he was already feeling.

"Try me," Chris said, getting the feeling that he already knew what it was. It wasn't fair for the twenty-year-old to carry the heavy burden of such a large future, and no doubt it was what was causing Wyatt to lose control more and more often as they visited more parties.

"I'm just stressed," Wyatt grumbled. "College can do that to a person, you know?" He avoided phrasing what he was truly worried about, keeping it private. He didn't need to burden his little brother any more than he already had. Chris had to deal with so much stuff that it wasn't fair to pile on more.

"Tell me about it," Chris answered quietly. He knew his brother was avoiding the subject, but he didn't intend on pulling the entire truth out of Wyatt if his brother was reluctant to tell him. Chris knew the blond well, and he was sure that if whatever was bothering Wyatt became too much for him to deal with, he would let Chris know. Then the brothers would be able to help each other, same as they always had.

Chris executed a perfect turn into the parking lot and quickly found an empty spot. He drove into it, not noticing how a bright blue car missed hitting them by just a few inches. The other car drove on, looking for another space to park, while Chris unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look at Wyatt. "Come on, this is going to take a while," he said, before opening the door and dropping the small distance to the floor. Wyatt groaned in response and grabbed his mother's extensive shopping list from the dashboard. Complaining under his breath, he got out of the car as well and followed his much perkier brother into the large building. The boys didn't see the pair of silver eyes that observed them from nearby, biding their time to when the brothers would leave. They wouldn't escape again.

* * *

(A/N) Cue the dramatic music again! Gosh, I just love ending chapters so ominously! You have to admit, it does make you want to read the next chapter even more, doesn't it? Well, I hope it does. And poor Wyatt, he seems to really be stressing about the whole "Future King of Magic" thing. Honestly, I think it would be a lot to take on. Anybody would be worried, or, at least, I think they'd be. Which is why Wyatt is so stressed at the moment. If you think about it, it makes a ton of sense. BTW, Mr. Jameson the neighbor does not exist in the Charmed Universe that I know of. I created him for the specific purpose of this story. Any relation to someone actually named Jameson is purely coincidental.

Anywho, I'm going to stop rambling now and thank all the wonderful people who have read this story. You guys are truly lovely. Special thanks go to those who added this to their Favorites and their Alerts, and mega special thanks go to those few people who reviewed: Kokoro E. Junnaya, and Fanycharmed. You guys are beautiful for reviewing.

Aaaand, that's all for now. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and if you did or didn't, why not let me know by dropping me a review? It's just a little box under the story. Isn't it tempting to let me know what you thought of it? Don't you want to review? You are getting very very sleepy, and now you will review the story... please? LOL No, seriously, please review. See you guys next week!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Wyatt, catch!"

The blond young man turned just in time to catch a large box of Halloween ornaments heading his way. "Whoa, Chris, watch it!" he complained, dumping the items into the shopping cart, which was already full to overflowing. The box started to slide off the cart, and Wyatt sighed and steadied it. It refused to stay put, though, and, frustrated, he then grabbed the box and jammed it between a large plastic skull and a witch's hat.

Wyatt's headache had abated in the long while that he and Chris had been seeking out everything on their mother's shopping list. He was grateful for this, but, despite being pain-free, he couldn't help but notice that his thinking still remained a little fuzzy, and he kept zoning out at random moments. It was better than the massive hangover he'd had, though. What might have helped was that he'd quietly whispered a spell to ease his pain as soon as his younger brother had been out of earshot. Technically, he wasn't supposed to use magic for personal gain, but, Wyatt had reasoned that if he was feeling better, he would be able to be more alert and able to protect innocents.

Chris turned up, pushing another shopping cart that was almost as full as Wyatt's. He was holding the long list that Piper had sent with them. A pen was between his teeth, and he struggled to push the shopping cart, hold the list, and pull the cap off the writing utensil. He wasn't quite watching what he was doing, and as a result, nearly ended up banging both carts together, which would have resulted in absolute chaos had Wyatt not stopped it at the last moment.

"Is that it?" Wyatt asked tiredly. He'd spent so much longer than he'd originally hoped shopping for decorations, and even if his headache was gone, he was starting to want to leave the store. In fact, he was wondering whether he could even avoid going home and having full-frontal family time by orbing to the other side of the planet. He sighed. It would probably not work, as his mother would send someone to look for him.

Chris squinted down at the list, trying to decipher Piper's cramped handwriting. She'd managed to squeeze every single item onto the sheet of paper, but had only made her writing nearly impossible to read in the process. "Yeah, I think that's it," he said, glancing down at the carts. He mentally went through the items, comparing them to those on the list. As he looked through the items, he raised his eyebrows. "Wow, I thought we'd never be done," he muttered.

"Awesome," Wyatt stated, his voice declaring the fact that he was thinking that the situation was anything but the adjective he'd just pronounced. "So let's just pay and get out of here." He began to push his cart down one of the aisles, not looking to his sides so as not to be reminded of the torture he'd just gone through while seeking out every item his mother insisted on having.

"Um, Wyatt?" he heard his younger brother's voice, and he turned, one eyebrow raised. His expression was silently sending a warning to Chris, begging him not to say that there was something missing in their carts. "The registers are the other way." Wyatt pursed his lips and simply turned his cart around, following Chris towards the exit. He was most definitely not having a good day.

-)-(-

The bags wouldn't fit in the trunk of the van. Chris and Wyatt had been moving things around for the past five minutes, but they weren't able to stuff everything in. Finally, they had to give in. "We're going to have to fill up the backseat too," Wyatt said, stepping back and looking at the trunk, which was stuffed completely. There was still half a cart of items left, and there was not even a spare inch of space in which to put them in.

Chris frowned slightly, and he walked up to the side of the van, pulling at the door to open it. He hadn't wanted to open it because they would somehow have to arrange the bags all around so they wouldn't shift around and spill the many decorations all over the place, which involved belting bags in without crushing them.

He looked back at Wyatt, expecting his brother to push the cart up close to him so he could start loading the stuff into the van. Wyatt was doing that, but Chris could only focus on the person standing right behind his brother. It was his neighbor, and Chris didn't know him very well. Mr. Jameson, or something of the sort. However, the last time he'd seen the man, he'd had dark eyes, not silver ones. Also, the expression on the neighbor's face was one that wasn't natural and neither was the way he was reaching for Wyatt.

As a mist began to come out of the man's mouth, Chris yelled, "Wyatt, watch out!" Without a single moment of hesitation, he launched himself forward and pulled his brother down onto the ground. As he did so, he felt a tingle in his throat, and he coughed slightly. For a moment, his eyesight blurred, and he blinked his suddenly bright eyes until they returned to their regular green. He looked up to see Mr. Jameson standing in front of him, a confused look on his face.

Suddenly, a woman sprung out from behind one of the cars. Her strawberry blond hair swished around her face as she pulled a dagger out of her pocket. In a fluid motion, she stuck it into the man standing before Chris, and with a surprised "oh," he collapsed to the ground.

Instinctively, Chris waved his arm and pushed the woman away with his telekinetic abilities, while Wyatt finally reacted and knelt next to their neighbor, holding his hands above the wound and watching as the skin stitched itself back together. Mr. Jameson was healed, but fortunately, he'd been knocked out so Wyatt and Chris wouldn't have to explain their magical abilities.

The woman rose from where she'd fallen on the sidewalk, and with a snap of her fingers, vanished into thin air. Chris and Wyatt looked around for a minute, expecting her to reappear somewhere nearby, but she didn't. The young men turned to each other, slightly confused as to what had just happened. Wyatt had just opened his mouth to say something when he gasped and grabbed at his neck, choking on his words. Chris's eyes widened and watched as the woman became visible once more, holding his brother around the neck while pressing a dagger to his skin.

"I don't know who you are, but if you don't surrender that man on the floor right now, I'll cut this guy's throat," she said in a chilling voice. From the seriousness in her tone, both Wyatt and Chris could see that she meant business, although they didn't understand what she would want with their neighbor, Mr. Jameson.

Chris held his hands up, letting her know that he wouldn't harm her. "What do you want him for?" he asked cautiously. It didn't quite make sense; the poor man was a mortal. And yet, just a few seconds ago, a strange silver mist had left his mouth, and the young Halliwell was certain that it had something to do with the reason the woman wanted to kill him.

Chris stepped away from the man, and the woman tossed Wyatt to the ground without any hesitation before kneeling next to Mr. Jameson. Wyatt sucked in a breath as she held the knife dangerously close to the mortal's chest, but, instead of plunging it in, she forced his eyes open with what had once been a well-manicured hand. All at once, she stopped and stood up, now glaring at Chris and Wyatt. She looked angry enough to kill.

* * *

(A/N) Uh oh... crazy lady alert! Well, crazy young woman... Anyway, looks like the moment has finally arrived! Chris and Wyatt have fun into the strange woman. But, they still don't know who she is, although, it's pretty obvious she was the power of invisibility. Pretty cool, huh? Anyway, What do you guys think? Is she good or evil? Will she help or hinder the brothers?

As usual, thanks to all the people who read this story, added it to their Favorites or their Alerts. Special thanks to my reviewers, who I may or may not have hypnotized into giving me reviews... hmm... I should try that more often. I got so many! Thanks to the awesome people: DarcieBiffo, Guest, onlysemiclueless (your review was so flattering, thank you so much), NoseInANovel, Guest2, and Fanycharmed. You guys are so lovely!

Now, please guys, leave me a review to know if you liked this chapter or didn't. Since hypnotism worked nicely last time, I thought I'd try something similar: _If this chapter you did love/leave a review below/make the writer very happy/as your opinion you show_... Bah, I'm worse at writing spells than Wyatt. Maybe I should get PJ to help me out, even if her spells do end up sounding like they're from the 15th century. Maybe Mel will be a bigger help. Anyway, you are now under my spell, so you have to review! I look forward to seeing all your wonderful opinions, and see you next week!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"You stupid witches let him get away!" the fierce woman burst out, surprising both Wyatt and Chris with her sudden exclamation. From her past actions, they'd expected her to attack them, after killing Mr. Jameson, but it didn't seem like that was what she intended. In fact, she seemed genuinely distraught as she looked around, as if she expected to find who she was looking for right standing behind her.

"So, wait... you're not evil?" Chris asked, very confused. The woman had abruptly changed emotions on them, and now she was acting like they had done something wrong, when they'd only saved their neighbor from dying a rather painful death.

"Of course I'm not," she said, exasperated, pushing her strawberry blond hair back brusquely. She seemed accustomed to answering the question, and seemed to know why she would appear so. "I'm a good witch, and I've been tracking this spirit for over two years. This was the first time I've gotten so close, and I would have gotten him too," she paused and glared back at Chris and Wyatt, "if you two hadn't gotten in the way! Seriously, what were you guys thinking?"

"Whoa, hey," Wyatt protested, holding up his hands. He was starting to feel very much like his mother was scolding him for doing something he shouldn't have done, and yet, he'd only acted the way his Halliwell instinct had demanded: protecting the innocent, as he was always supposed to do. He refused to feel guilty over doing something that was in his very blood. "We had no idea that Mr. Jameson was possessed by a spirit or something. He just popped out of nowhere before you tried to kill him."

The woman sighed, frustrated. "Well, I wasn't going to stop and explain that Mr. What's-His-Face was possessed before I got the spirit, was I? He would have gotten away!" The woman stopped, fingering her dagger. "I was so close," she muttered to herself, "so close!" She seemed to be extremely upset over losing a simple spirit. In fact, Wyatt could almost see tears in the corners of her eyes. He wondered why this was so important to her, as it was obvious that she'd let everything go in the pursuit of this spirit. Her appearance was a disaster, and the way she handled her dagger was strange, almost too fond of it, as if she'd gotten accustomed to having the weapon in her hand at all times. It was definitely not a habit one gained in a short period of time, and Wyatt believed her when she said that she'd been searching for this spirit over a couple of years.

"Look, it's not that bad. You can scry for the spirit and find him again," Chris said, still frustrated by the way the woman seemed intent on blaming them for the loss of whoever she was looking for. He also hadn't taken kindly to her holding a knife to Wyatt's neck while demanding the life of the man lying on the ground.

The woman turned her piercing eyes towards the younger Halliwell. "It doesn't work that way! I can't find him through magical means until he's possessing somebody, which he isn't, right now… unless…" the woman suddenly paused and darted up to Wyatt, holding his chin firmly in her hands and peering into his eyes. Wyatt instinctively launched up his energy shield, but before it hit the woman, she walked over to Chris and grabbed his hair roughly, staring into his eyes. Green irises glinted innocently back at her. "Nope, you're clean," she said, releasing the young man's brown hair.

Chris winced, feeling several places on his scalp where hairs used to be. He rubbed at his head, trying to flatten his hair. "What was that for? I thought we'd already established that we were all part of the same side!" He noticed Wyatt grinning at him, and he sighed. He ran his fingers through his brown locks, feeling how a few of the strands had stood up haphazardly, making him look rather ridiculous.

"Malachi possesses people very discreetly. The only way to tell is through looking at a person's eyes," the woman explained, pointing at her own eyes. "For some reason, his spirit turns the irises of the possessed silver, making it easy to recognize him." She sighed. "He's just been switching so quickly that it's hard to keep up." She tucked her blade back into her pocket reluctantly, knowing that there was no more reason to have it on hand.

"Malachi? Is that the spirit's name?" Wyatt asked, turning to look at Chris. Now that the ghostly essence had a name, they would be able to find it in the Book of Shadows. Their book had hundreds of different beings described within its pages, so it might have the elusive spirit the woman was looking for. Chris seemed to be thinking the same thing as Wyatt, and he nodded slightly, still watching the woman warily. He still wasn't quite sure whether he trusted her or not.

"Yes, that is his name, Malachi. He used to be a very powerful warlock, and before he died, he cast a spell that would make his spirit live on. He was eventually killed, but that only released his soul and allowed him to be free and live on to possess other powerful beings," she said. "Over the past few years, he's gone through many bodies, and the only way to get rid of him is with this knife." The woman patted the hilt of her dagger, which was still sticking out of her pocket. "I made it myself, especially for him," she said fondly, "as soon as you stick it into the body holding his spirit, he will finally die."

Wyatt tried to ignore the way in which she seemed to be too in love with her dagger, and not mind killing innocent people, and instead suggested, "You should come with us and look in the Book of Shadows. We might find some way to find him a lot quicker in there."

"I'm sorry, we?" the woman asked, one eyebrow raised. "What makes you think that you guys would be able to help me kill this spirit? I've been tracking him for years, I know everything about him, and even I haven't been able to get him yet. What makes you think that you will be able to?"

"We're the sons of one of the Charmed Ones," Wyatt said, affronted by the fact that this woman, whoever she was, assumed that they were weak witches. They weren't, and Wyatt, for some reason, felt eager to prove his power and vanquishing ability to her.

The woman seemed shocked, and she took a step back to look both of the brothers up and down. "You're the Twice-Blessed?" she asked, surprised. There was a tone in her voice that implied that she didn't quite believe the blond man. She then turned towards Chris, who had a slightly darker gleam in his eye. "You're his brother? Huh… somehow I thought you guys would look more…" the woman hesitated, not seeming to want to finish the sentence.

"Yes, I'm the Twice-Blessed," Wyatt muttered. That declaration hadn't quite gone the way he'd hoped. He'd assumed that their reputation would be enough to prove to this woman that they were powerful enough, but she still seemed to doubt them. "And we have the Book of Shadows back at the Manor, so maybe that could be of some help."

"Well, no wonder Malachi's after you," she murmured, eyeing both the young men carefully, seeming to evaluate them once more. Then, she thought for a moment, seeming to be debating with herself. She then shrugged, as if telling herself '_why not?_', and nodded. "Yeah, sure. It can't hurt," she said, looking behind Chris at the car where they'd been previously sticking the bags into. "I'm Jennifer, by the way," she added, not actually looking at any of the Charmed boys as she spoke.

"I'm Wyatt, and this is Chris," the older man replied, gesturing at his younger brother as he spoke. He was still rather bothered by the fact that Jennifer didn't seem to be impressed with the Charmed reputation, but was pleased by the knowledge of her name. It didn't seem to fit her, but it was nice to know what it was anyway. "We should hurry back home," he commented, glancing at his watch. Piper would be expecting them, and Wyatt was grateful to know that their 'Halloween decoration family fun-athon' would be postponed until further notice.

"Um, before we go," Chris uttered quietly, "we should probably do something about him." He pointed at Mr. Jameson, who was still lying on the ground, not having moved ever since having been healed. Poor Mr. Jameson was probably going to be very confused when he woke up, but Chris wanted to make sure that all of them were gone by that time, so he would have no chance to ask questions. For all he would know, he'd just had a really strange dream.

* * *

(A/N) Hello everybody! So now we have a name to give to the strange woman who keeps popping up every other chapter: Jennifer. And, what do you guys think of her? Is she really crazy, or just super determined? Thoughts! Oh, and why is finding the spirit so important to her? Where did it go, anyway? Why is Wyatt so insulted? And why are the shopping bags being so annoying? The answers to all these questions and more in the next chapter, which will be out next week! Pretty exciting, huh?

Oh, and I wanted, as usual, to thank all the people who added this to their Alerts or Favorites, but especially to my reviewers. I had a really crappy week, and every time I noticed that somebody had reviewed my story, it boosted my spirits! So thank you to: DarcieBiffo, Fanycharmed, Guest, onlysemiclueless, NoseInANovel, and Everything-Mike-Ross. You awesome people made me so happy this week, and this story is happy too!

Speaking of which, please please review! Fanycharmed brought up last time that there is such a pesky little thing as free will. Which means that I can't keep using magic or hypnotism to get you guys to review. And just when I'd gotten help from PJ too! Oh well, I am simply reduced to begging... Please please please review? I'm begging you! I'm down on my knees! I have cookies! And no, that might have rhymed, but it's not a spell... or is it? *evil laughter* See you next week, and until then, enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Chris fumed as he sat among several shopping bags in the backseat of the car. He had been forced to take that position after Wyatt had affirmed that he was well enough to drive, since he was a better driver anyway. The older brother had also added that Jennifer should take shotgun, seeing as it would have been rude to put her in the back.

Chris knew that Wyatt couldn't care less about being rude or not at the moment, and the only thing he was interested in was keeping the attractive young woman near him so he could talk to her. With a frustrated sigh after arguing for several minutes, Chris had acquiesced, and was sent to the back seat to hold onto the bags which tipped precariously and threatened to spill their contents over the floor every time Wyatt changed speeds. It was a frustrating job, and Chris couldn't help but wish that he had been allowed to take Mr. Jameson back home instead. The trio had discussed what they would be doing with the neighbor for quite a while, and had finally arrived at the conclusion that they should just bundle him into his car and leave him there, hoping that he'd soon regain consciousness and drive himself back home. Chris had suggested he take the man home in his car, but both Wyatt and Jennifer had vetoed the suggestion, claiming that it would only cause more trouble if the man woke up when they were still on their way back to Prescott Street. Chris had seen what they meant, but he hadn't wanted to agree with them until he had no other choice. He'd seen the way Wyatt was watching Jennifer, which meant that he would have to relive many of his high school days as they drove home.

Chris sighed, annoyed, as he watched Wyatt futilely flirt with the woman, who didn't seem to understand what he was doing. Chris wanted to send his brother a sign to keep him from embarrassing himself further, but a small vindictive part of him was enjoying the way the blond man continued humiliating himself by trying pick-up lines on someone who was obviously not interested.

Wyatt laughed at something Jennifer said, which hadn't truly been that funny, and Chris rolled his eyes. He didn't know how much more of this he could take, and he grumbled under his breath as he stopped yet another shopping bag from collapsing. He'd thought he'd never have to go through this again after his brother had graduated high school. During those years, Wyatt had made him take the backseat while he drove the girlfriend of the month back to her place. Wyatt had become an expert at ignoring Chris's complaints, and the way he tried to ruin the trip in the car, and his dates had eventually learned from him. It reached the point where no woman that Wyatt had ever gone out with even looked at Chris in the hallways. It drove him mad. Chris knew that his brother just wanted a little romance in his life, but he couldn't help but wish that he'd decide on other times to find it, ones that didn't involve driving around in their mom's car.

Luckily, the seemed to be turning the corner onto their street now, and Chris grinned brightly as he saw his house just a little distance away. Soon, he would be able to get out of the car and run into the house, avoiding both his brother and the girl he'd picked up at the supermarket. He knew Wyatt would want to help her all by himself, and he wasn't willing to get into his big brother's way. It would just be awkward.

Wyatt parked the car expertly, turning it off and pulling the keys out with a flourish. Without wasting a second, Jennifer quickly opened the car door and let herself out. Wyatt followed suit, and they began walking up to the front door. Chris, who'd been taking off his seatbelt, didn't notice until both doors slammed shut. He looked up, his mouth open. He stared aghast as the couple left him sitting in the backseat, with all the shopping bags that had to somehow get into the house. Opening the door, Chris untangled himself from the bags and pulled himself out. He looked back at the bags, an annoyed look on his face. It now obviously fell to him to take all of that inside. Wyatt would owe him big time.

-)-(-

"Mom?" Wyatt called out as soon as he stepped into his house. He turned around, beckoning at Jennifer who'd suddenly become rather shy and reluctant to step into the legendary manor. Wyatt smiled, noticing that she was beginning to be impressed. Hopefully, by the time they'd hunted down the spirit, she'd be willing to give him her number. "Mom?" Wyatt repeated, a little louder. He wondered what was taking Piper so long.

"Wyatt? Is that you, honey?" he heard a voice from nearby, and he blushed, hoping Jennifer hadn't noticed the pet name. The names tended to make him feel less masculine, and in his experience with women, the only people they wanted to be referred to with such a name were themselves.

"Yeah, Mom, it's me. I need your help," Wyatt said, leading the way to the living room. Jennifer followed him, hesitating slightly before she took a seat on one of the couches, as Wyatt had indicated she should do. It was at that moment that Piper stepped into the room, having been in the kitchen as usual.

"Wyatt, did you and your brother get everything I asked for?" she asked, not noticing that they had company until Jennifer jumped up.

Jennifer had been unwilling to take a seat in the first place, and when she saw that she was in the presence of one of the Charmed Ones, she was unable to resist getting to her feet. "I-it's an honor to meet you, M-Madam Halliwell," she stammered, bowing her head slightly.

Piper stopped, raising her eyebrows inquisitively at Wyatt before turning back to the strange woman who was in her house. "It's nice to meet you too, but please, don't call me that. Just call me Piper." She looked at her son, a strange expression on her face. She was obviously waiting to be introduced to the stranger.

Wyatt was lost at why his mother was looking at him that way. Suddenly, as Piper meaningfully inclined her head at Jennifer, he realized that he'd forgotten his manners. "Oh, right. Mom, this is Jennifer. She's a witch who needs our help." He glanced at Jennifer, thinking that she would supplement his explanation with more details.

Jennifer, who was now once more in her comfort zone, quickly began letting the elder Charmed One know about the spirit she'd been hunting. "Two years ago, my fiancé was possessed by a vengeful spirit called Malachi. While possessed, he told me that he wanted to find someone with enough power to take over the Underworld and begin a new evil reign under his command." Jennifer shuddered slightly as she remembered the situation in which the information had been divulged. "He used my magic books to find a way to track down powerful witches, before getting rid of my fiancé," the woman's voice broke slightly, but she continued speaking, "and then began possessing people who would be able to help him. He traveled all over, and I finally managed to track him here. It's the longest he's ever been in a single city, so I finally have a chance of getting rid of Malachi, once and for all."

Piper's eyes widened as the woman spoke. She was more than a little overwhelmed by the explanation, and by the way she'd noticed Wyatt's eyes watching the young woman. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Jennifer, and, despite not being willing to have her son fraternize with a woman who was so obviously older than him (although probably not by much), she couldn't neglect her duty as a Charmed One. This woman was an innocent, and Piper had to protect her. "Do you know how we can vanquish this spirit?" Spirits were tricky beings, in Piper's experience, and ridding oneself of them could be difficult.

Jennifer grinned widely as she pulled out the dagger that she'd become so fond of using. "Yes. After my fiancé died, I did a little research of my own. I made this blade myself from ancient magic, and it should work well enough to kill Malachi. The problem is, I think I can only get him when he's in a host body, so he has to be possessing someone before he can be vanquished."

Piper bit her lip, thinking over the situation. "Well then, we obviously need to get to work," she commented, already planning for a spell, a potion, or something that would cause the spirit to become corporeal and solid enough to be killed without needing a body for it to possess. This would be tricky, but Piper was determined to help this woman, if only because of the way her son was looking at her. The things she did for her boy…

* * *

(A/N) Ta da! Chapter seven! Didja like? I enjoyed it, despite not too much happening in it. There wasn't a cliffie here, though, which I guess was nice for you guys. It's more a filler, but I had fun writing it, especially how Chris was so annoyed at Wyatt. Poor guy, Chris, I mean. I can't imagine how annoying it must be to have an older brother like Wyatt. Oh, and now you know a little bit more about Jennifer! What do you think? I kinda feel sorry for her, honestly, but not too much. She's still a little too intense. Oh, and in case you're curious, Wyatt is 20 in this fic (as he has been in all my other fics), and Jennifer is about 24 or 25 years old. And, speaking of which, I didn't know that Chris's birthday was in October! I'd always assumed it was in November, but then I checked the wiki... Nope, he's an October baby, so, he was 18 in my previous fics, but he's 19 in this one. Just thought I'd clear that up, even if it has no importance whatsoever in this particular fic.

As usual, thanks to all those people who added this to their Faves or Alerts. Special awesome thanks to those who reviewed: DarcieBiffo, NoseInANovel, Guest, and Fanycharmed (who, by the way, has revealed that all shopping bags are actually named Steve. Just thought you ought to know.)

Anyway, guys, please review my story, that would totally make my week. And, since Fanycharmed caught that I didn't exactly promise you guys cookies last chapter, I'll do so now. Anyone who reviews gets an imaginary cookie in their favorite flavor! Now, who can resist an offer like that? See you next week!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

A muffled thump sounded from the kitchen, and Piper craned her head over her shoulder as she wondered what had just happened. Wyatt was frowning, wondering what was going on. Jennifer's hand had grasped her dagger by the handle, and her arm was raised, ready to throw the weapon at the intruder. Another thump sounded, and all three witches stood up, prepared to defend themselves in case that Malachi had decided to visit them.

Cautiously, they stalked towards the kitchen. Their feet barely made whispers as they walked over the solid floors, keeping quiet in order to catch whatever the creature in the kitchen was by surprise. Piper froze at the entrance, shielded by one of the walls. She caught Wyatt's eye, and as he nodded, they both burst into the room, their arms raised. Jennifer followed, knife at the ready.

At the sudden noise of their entrance, the young man who had been standing there gasped in shock. He dropped the many shopping bags that he'd brought in, and his hands went to his chest. "Damn, you scared me!" Chris said, disconcerted by the fact that he'd nearly been attacked by two members of his family.

Piper had stopped looking at her son and instead was now inspecting the mess of bags that littered the kitchen floor. "What happened?" she demanded, noticing how several of the bags had spilt their contents all over, which meant that she would have to spend a while later on cleaning and making sure that the room was once more spotless.

Chris rolled his eyes, glancing at the couple standing behind his mother. "Well, Wyatt here decided to leave me the job of bringing every single one of the shopping bags inside, without even asking me first." His accusing eyes were matched by his sarcastic tone. "So, naturally, I had to use magic to orb them here. And then, you guys came in, ready to kill me!"

Wyatt looked down at the floor, hiding the prominent grin on his face. He didn't admit it, but it amused him to no end how frustrated his little brother was now, and how he'd managed to avoid having to bring all the things they'd bought inside. Over the years, Wyatt had become quite talented at avoiding jobs that he didn't want to perform, which ranged from washing the dishes to sweeping the attic floors. And, either way, if he was unable to dodge the task, he usually figured out a way to quicken it with a little magic. Of course, he had to be very discreet about it, otherwise, his mother would look at him with the stern look in her eye, much like she was doing now.

"Wyatt," she chided him, not caring that he was standing in front of a girl that he so obviously liked, "you really should have helped your brother bring all this stuff inside." Piper noticed Wyatt begin to blush and the young woman start to edge towards the kitchen door. "You know better than to make Chris do everything, especially when I ask both of you to help me out." Her gaze was beginning to make Wyatt cower, and she suddenly seemed to be much taller than he was, despite the opposite being true.

"Yes, Mom," he mumbled, trying to stop Piper before she began one of her five-minute long lectures on how much she depended on him, or how he was old enough to act like an adult now, and he had to stop making childish decisions. He didn't want those discussions even at the best of times, and with Jennifer standing right behind him, watching the whole thing, this was definitely a terrible time for this to be happening.

Chris, however, was smirking slightly. Both he and Wyatt relished making the other feel uncomfortable, as brothers tended to do, and they tried their best to cause situations where the other would be chastened by the wrath of Piper. However, they still loved each other, but they couldn't help laughing when their pranks gave the desired results.

Still, Chris was beginning to feel a tiny bit sorry for Wyatt, especially as Jennifer was looking as embarrassed as the blond man. He cleared his throat slightly, prompting his mother to turn to him with a surprised look on her face. "I think we should get back to Jennifer's demon," he said, gesturing at the young woman who seemed to be on the verge of fleeing the scene.

"Spirit," Jennifer corrected quietly, but she had a grateful smile on her face as she noticed that the uncomfortable moment had ceased. "We should definitely hurry, Malachi is probably looking for somebody to possess right now." Her brow creased as she thought of how the spirit might once more elude her grasp. She was so close, and she didn't know if she could handle the evil ghost escape yet another time.

Piper nodded. "You're right, of course. Let's go back to the living room, and you can everything you know about this spirit. Hopefully, with that information, we can cast a summoning spell that will bring him to us before he takes someone else's body." She ushered both of her sons and the girl out of the kitchen, and away from the mess. Despite how hard it was to leave the dirty kitchen alone, she had more important stuff to deal with at the moment. She would just have to clean that up later.

The two women and young men made their way back to the living room, where they all sat down on varying seats. Wyatt made sure to sit next to the pretty young witch, while his brother grabbed a chair across from them and launched the blond man teasing grins from time to time. Piper made herself comfortable on an overstuffed armchair, as she continued listening to Jennifer's account.

"Malachi can't survive very long in spirit form, not without a host body. He can spend maybe an hour or two outside before he has to possess somebody else," Jennifer was saying as she tucked her knife back into the sheath on her belt. "He usually tries to grab someone powerful, but he's been getting desperate and sloppy. Over the past few weeks, he's possessed more people than in the first months that I knew him." The young woman turned her eyes down to the ground, ashamed. "It's probably because I've gotten much close to getting him, now, and he's trying to shake me off his tail, but I just can't stop going after him."

Wyatt took this chance to pat the woman on the back, ignoring his little brother's smothered laughs and Piper's understanding eyes. He was just glad that he had an excuse to touch Jennifer now, even if it was only her back. He'd much rather touch her lips... "You just did what you had to," he said, trying to comfort her, making his voice sound as soothing as possible. "You've done nothing wrong."

Chris suddenly felt a twinge of pain at the back of his head. He frowned slightly, his hand going up to his temples. He rubbed them softly, cringing as the pain began to increase. "Excuse me," he muttered as he headed upstairs to his room. He was sure he had some Ibuprofen in his drawer, which would free him of the headache that was forming right behind his eyes. He wondered why he would be in pain at such a time, but figured that it might have had something to do with the busy night.

Chris sighed, wondering why it had taken so long for the signs accompanying a lack of sleep to appear. He opened his door and walked into his room, heading over to his desk. The young man quickly spotted the bottle of medicine on the table, and he quickly tipped out two tablets and knocked them back. He closed his eyes as he swallowed, turning to head back out the door and downstairs.

However, as he began to leave, something caught his eye. It was his reflection. From the mirror, a young man with mussed hair stared out of him. His clothes were wrinkled, and there was a small stain on the collar of his shirt. Chris grimaced, trying to remember what had caused that stain. He shrugged, deciding to leave the shirt as it was, and instead began to fix his hair. As he began combing the brown strands with his fingers, he noticed something that made him step back in shock. His eyes, which were usually a deep shade of green, looked lighter and seemed to have flecks of silver. He stared into the mirror, trying to wrap his mind around what he'd just realized. Malachi was inside of him!

* * *

(A/N) Muahahahaha! Cliffhanger! I just love putting those in there, don't I? I really enjoyed writing this chapter... BROTHERLY LOVE! Well, I don't really get along with my own brother (probably because he's waaaay older than me), but I assumed that this was what brothers did. Either way, it was fun, and I'll leave you on that note.

As usual, thanks to all those lovely people who added this story to their Favorites or Alerts. Seriously, it makes me glad that people are enjoying this story. Special thanks to those extra lovely people who reviewed: DarcieBiffo, annaangel23, Guest, and Fanycharmed. I know I always say your reviews made my week, but, this time it's most definitely true. Your reviews, letting me know that you're liking this story so much, gave me confidence in my writing.

Oh, and speaking of writing, I have good news and bad news. The bad news, I've been working more on my original fiction than on fanfiction. The good news? That won't affect this story. All of this story's chapters are currently saved on my computer, and I just post them every Friday because I'm evil like that. The fact that I'm more focused on my original fiction means that the story after this one might be posted a little (or a lot) later than usual. Depends on how all this goes. Anyway, don't forget to read and review! Reviews are golden to me! Seriously! And I'll see you next week, you awesome people! For now, enjoy this chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Chris stared at his reflection in the mirror, frozen in shock as he debated what he should do next. All his senses screamed that he should go downstairs and tell his mother and brother about the spirit which was obviously inside of him, but he didn't trust the witch, Jennifer. He knew that she'd been hunting the spirit for years, and if he went downstairs, she might be willing to end his life to get rid of Malachi once and for all. Chris had recently been through enough near-death experiences to know that they were unpleasant, and something that he didn't want to go through ever again, so he instead searched for another solution.

If Chris could get upstairs to the Book of Shadows, there might be something in there that would force Malachi out of his body, but he would have to hurry. So far, the young man had been lucky in that the spirit hadn't taken complete control. Chris wasn't sure why that had happened, but he wasn't going to risk it much longer. As soon as his decision was made, he dashed out of his room, his feet thumping loudly against the floor. He didn't even think of orbing upstairs, and even if he had, he would have been reluctant to use it. He'd already used it to bring the shopping bags inside, and he didn't want to let Malachi know how to access that particular power, especially when it would let the spirit gain access Up There, which could potentially bring about complete destruction.

He hurried up the stairs to the attic and rushed into the room, running to the Book of Shadows which waited only a few feet away. Suddenly, a rushing sound filled Chris's ears, and he gasped as he felt his body cease to listen to his instructions. He struggled a few moments, before he felt himself stop moving and collapse to the ground. He was able to look at the Book helplessly for a second longer before a silver film covered his sight.

-)-(-

Piper and Wyatt had been discussing the potential potion ingredients that they could use to make a spirit that was non-corporeal suddenly have a body. Jennifer had been watching nearby, handling her dagger as she watched the members of the Halliwell family do what they did best. Both mother and son had finally agreed that the potion should be a vapor that would engulf the area that the spirit was in, and had cleared some of the shopping bags from the kitchen counter, when they'd suddenly heard loud, running steps. Piper frowned, wondering what was going on. Their confusion only culminated in yet another loud thump, sounding eerily familiar, yet fainter.

"What is Chris doing up there?" Piper wondered, hoping that she wouldn't have to go upstairs and fend off a spirit without the potion that she and her son had already planned out. When all was quiet upstairs, she figured nothing was wrong, as she imagined that Chris would have either called out or orbed downstairs by then, if it was Malachi who was attacking.

Wyatt, however, wasn't so sure. "I'll be right back," he said quietly, gathering up his magic and using it to head upstairs. His first stop was Chris's room, but seeing the door ajar and the room empty gave Wyatt pause. He reasoned that his brother might have gone upstairs to the attic, and after briefly using his sensing ability, he proved himself right. Orbing upstairs, he then reformed on the rug in the middle of the room. To his relief, Chris was standing there, in front of the Book of Shadows, flipping through the pages.

Wyatt swallowed the relief that threatened to rush out of him and instead said, "Chris, you made Mom worry about you, what with you running all over the place." He noticed that the young brown-haired man looked strangely composed for having just run up a flight of stairs, but didn't think anything of it. "What were you doing, anyway?"

Chris looked up at the blond, and Wyatt felt slightly unsure of himself as he noticed a strange expression on Chris's face. "I was just trying to help you and that poor _woman_ downstairs, Wyatt," the younger man replied seriously. His voice didn't have the usual intonations, and instead of sounding like it usually did, it seemed to have a strange, almost hissy, quality. Wyatt also noticed the way that Chris had said 'woman', and he figured that his brother was still upset at his having ditched him with the bags to hit on Jennifer.

"Oh, ok," Wyatt shrugged the strangeness off and instead walked closer to Chris and the Book. "So, have you found anything helpful?" He glanced over at the pages that Chris was reading, and frowned slightly. The Book was open at the section that described the Charmed Ones, specifically the page that mentioned their powers. "What are you doing?" Wyatt then asked, confused as to what his brother was doing looking through that part of the Book.

"Nothing," Chris replied, a little too quickly. "When I opened the Book of Shadows, it just opened to this page." He began rapidly flipping through the pages now, skipping ahead several sections and ending on the one talking about demons.

Wyatt was even more confused. "Chris, you went ahead too far. Spirits come before major assassins of the Underworld." He pushed his brother aside, not noticing the silver glares that he was receiving, as he began to efficiently turn the pages back to where he knew spirits and ghosts would be discussed in-depth.

"Ok, so it says here that ghosts can only be vanquished by a ghost itself," Wyatt began to read, filling his brother in on the information that was on the page. "So does that mean that one has to be dead to vanquish them?"

Wyatt did not notice the way that Chris had crept up behind him, and the way his strange silver irises were now examining the magical aura that surrounded the blond man. To Malachi, that aura was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen, and although he noticed that the young man he was possessing was quite powerful in his own right, that aura which he was gazing at was so much more flashy and compelling. Malachi knew that the best way to gain a huge demonic following was to have the Twice-Blessed under his control.

So, Malachi in Chris's body was preparing to launch his spirit out once more, into the air and into Wyatt's mouth. A small voice at the back of his mind started yelling out warnings, the real Chris was trapped back there. But he was unable to do anything as the spirit who had taken control of his body prepared to harm his brother.

Malachi was just about to expel himself when a sound caught his attention. Piper had just stepped into the room, and she was watching both of her sons with an authoritative eye. "Oh, here you are," she said, walking up to them. "I thought you might be here. Did you find anything?" she quickly asked, looking at her oldest son to respond to her question.

Malachi cursed inwardly, noticing that his chance had just gone by. He passed his hand through his hair, messing it up even more. Then, he rubbed at his eyes. "I think I'm going to go back to my bedroom," he made Chris's voice moan out. "I'm not feeling very well."

Piper's face turned to one of concern, and she briefly touched Chris's forehead, still distracted by her older son, who was now reading aloud the Book's take on spirits in the background. "You don't feel warm. But I think you should just go lie down for a bit, rest. You had a busy night."

Instead of receiving the amused glance she expected, Chris only closed his eyes and nodded, before shambling over to the door. Piper then turned back to Wyatt, and they began discussing how to vanquish that particular being once more. Neither of them noticed a silver pair of eyes glaring at them from the doorway. Malachi's chance had been thwarted, so now he would have to take other measures.

* * *

(A/N) *cues dramatic music* Yup, I love ending it on this. It's not exactly a cliffie, but it's still very ominous, wouldn't you agree? Anyway, poor Chris, who is now possessed. How long do you guys think it'll take Piper and Wyatt to realize that? And what do you think is Malachi's next plan to possess Wyatt? And why does everyone always have to go after Wyatt? I sure love asking questions!

Thanks to everyone who added this to their Favorites or Alerts. I honestly can't believe sometimes how many people like reading my stories! It's so unreal! Special super awesome thanks to my reviewers, you guys rock: DarcieBiffo, Fanycharmed, Guest, and annaangel23. Your reviews make my week gold! Seriously. I went back to read all the reviews I've gotten on the other stories in my Charmed series and realized just how much I've come to depend on your reviews. They make me feel special and amazing, so thank you so much!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please type in a comment if you can. It's right below! It should only take a few seconds! Virtual hugs go out to everyone who does! And, I guess I'll see you next week with the very next chapter. Until then, see ya!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Malachi was seething, his mouth in a grimace that was unbecoming on Chris's young face, as he glared upstairs towards the attic. He'd been so close to his target, so very near to achieving his goals. And it had all been ruined when the oldest Charmed One had burst into the room. If only it had taken her a few more seconds… by then, the Twice-Blessed would have already been in Malachi's grasp.

Malachi had always dreamed about having the powers that the Charmed family had inherited so easily. He'd especially wanted the powers that the Twice-Blessed was prophesied to have, powers that encompassed both great good and great evil. It wasn't very often that a witch with those abilities was born, and Malachi had been extremely angry to realize that his own abilities were much smaller than the average witch's. That was the reason why he'd sworn to live forever, to make himself better than anybody else. Still, he needed the power, and that was where Wyatt, as the others referred to him, came in.

As Malachi walked down the hallway, he let out a small grunt of anger, and was astonished to see a large portrait on the wall fall to the ground. He raised Chris's hand, inspecting it carefully. He hadn't really delved into the body he was currently possessing, but, now that he thought about it, because it was the Twice-Blessed's brother, and the son of a Charmed One, he would probably have a great deal more power himself. He quickly set the picture back on the wall, careful not to leave any suspicious traces behind, and continued walking down the hall.

As he reached Chris's room, Malachi closed the door and shut the young man's eyes. He sifted through memories, which the inner spirit of Chris tried to block. A smile gave rise to the man's features, a cruel smile. Nobody could keep something from Malachi for long, especially when he was in their body. The inner Chris was easily grappled with, and forced into a dark part of Malachi's consciousness, not to be listened to or used until Malachi had need for him. The evil spirit then had the opportunity to look through the young man's remembrances about his powers. As he watched the scenes play out in front of him, Malachi was surprised. This young man, Chris Hallliwell, was more powerful than he'd originally assumed. In fact, he came extremely close to the man upstairs, Wyatt. For a moment, Malachi wondered why he hadn't been able to see the enormous power that this man wielded, before taking a glimpse at the power aura surrounding him. While the Twice-Blessed's aura was flashy and impressive, Chris's was a lot less so, being more subtle and secretive. And, something that also helped hide the abilities he had, was that although he had the potential to be extremely powerful, the young man hadn't actually accessed that part of his powers yet, nor had felt the need to.

Well, now Malachi would take advantage of the abilities, whether Chris wanted him to or not. He forced the young man's mouth into an evil grin as he opened his eyes. It hadn't been a mistake to inhabit this body after all. With these powers on his side, Malachi would be able to control an army of demons to use to take control of the world. And, he would start by taking over the Halliwell Manor. With the grin still in place, the young man stood up and orbed out.

-)-(-

Wyatt was gazing at the attic entrance, his blue eyes serious as he considered how strangely his brother was acting. For one, he had complained about not feeling well, which wasn't something he usually did unless he was very sick. And Chris hadn't been acting really sick when he and Wyatt had been discussing ghosts. Sure, he'd seemed a little snappy and bad-tempered, but that was pretty normal considering that Wyatt had ditched him with two dozen shopping bags earlier that day.

Still, something was off, but Wyatt just couldn't put his finger on it. Apparently, his mother hadn't noticed, as she was still browsing the Book for potential potion ingredients, but Wyatt was coming to the conclusion that either his brother was very ill, or he something quite a bit more sinister was afoot… Wyatt hoped it was the former.

Footsteps sounded from the attic stairs, and soon, Jennifer stepped inside, looking awestruck as she gazed around the room. It was every witch's dream, with the spellbooks, potion ingredients, and large open space good enough for practicing magic in. Her eyes were wide as she examined the room where so many generations of good witches had practiced their craft, working to protect the innocents they were tasked with watching over. Then, she noticed the Book of Shadows, and her entire face lit up with amazement.

Piper had looked up when she'd heard Jennifer come into the room, and as soon as she saw the young woman's face, she realized what was going on in her mind. It was pretty common among white magic practitioners; they would be impressed by the Charmed heritage in the attic. "Do you want to come help me look through the Book?" she offered. "Two heads are better than one, after all," she added. She didn't want to sound like she was offering the young witch a chance to get close to their magical legacy, as she had the feeling that Jennifer had a bit of a pride issue.

Jennifer quickly schooled her features into an expression that covered all the happiness and amazement that had been shining through, and briefly nodded. She stepped towards the Book, as Wyatt retreated to give her room. Her hand trembled slightly as she reached out, holding it above the thick pages of the ancient Book of Shadows. Finally, she let a single finger touch the cool and beautiful pages, and she allowed a smile to grow on her face. Then, almost as if nothing special had happened, she began flipping through the pages of the Book.

Seeing that he was no longer needed, and still worried about his brother, Wyatt cleared his throat and mentioned, "I'm going to go check on Chris. He's been acting weird." He prepared to head towards the stairs, knowing full well that his mother didn't quite approve of him orbing such short distances unless it was an emergency.

He hadn't expected Jennifer's head to shoot up, and even less the way that she was staring intensely at him. "How is he acting weird?" she asked, her voice strangely insistent for such a simple question. In her face, a small trace of determination could be seen.

Piper, who'd been looking at the Book, turned to the young witch. It dawned on her what Jennifer was thinking. "No, Chris isn't possessed. You checked his eyes, didn't you? He's fine, he's just not feeling well." She tried to think about how Chris had looked when he'd mentioned feeling ill, and she realized that she'd been so distracted that she hadn't even looked into her son's eyes, but had merely checked his forehead. "He can't be possessed," she insisted.

Jennifer turned to Wyatt, knowing the signs that Piper was in denial, and instead repeated, "How is he acting weird? Is there any chance that Malachi is in him?" She was looking at him carefully, and her hand had traveled to her belt where she held the knife that she'd carefully crafted to kill the spirit that had thought to take possession of her fiancé.

Wyatt flew through the memories of the past few minutes, remembering how his brother had closed his eyes when he'd said he felt ill, how his brother had been speaking to him, how Chris had stood right behind him, the strange eerie presence that he'd suddenly felt. It was all making sense now, it fit perfectly into the explanation that Malachi had taken control of his little brother.

"Oh my God," Piper said, seeing the conclusion that Wyatt had come to, and knowing the answer to the question herself. Jennifer merely steeled herself, knowing what had to be done.

* * *

(A/N) Cue even more dramatic music! Yes, now the family has realized that Chris is possessed, and Malachi is making himself quite at home in Chris's body. Poor guy. Anyway, what do you guys think Malachi is going to do now? How will the Halliwells get the spirit out of Chris? And what measures will Jennifer go to to destroy Malachi once and for all?

As usual, thanks to those who added this to their Faves and Alerts. About reviews, you guys scared me for a second! I'd thought that I wouldn't get reviews for this story for a while there. It was nerve-wrecking, but, in the end, I got some really great ones. Thank you to the wonderful people who reviewed: Corianna15 and Fanycharmed. You guys are brilliantly awesome! And I guess I'll see you all next week with the next chapter. Please please please review! Reviews are like cereal to me at midnight (priceless, basically). The little box down there? It's calling to you. Look at it! See? It's so sad and empty. Don't you want to fill it up with lovely words? Please do! The box and I will thank you for it! And, I'll see you next week! Bye!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Chris?!" Wyatt's loud voice was heard throughout the entire manor. The ancient home rumbled with the sounds of his worried voice and his frantic footsteps as he ran towards his younger brother's room. Somehow, deep inside of him, he'd already known what to expect, but it was still a shock to see the bare place. The room was in its usual state of neat disarray, but all that was missing was the young brown-haired man smiling at his older brother, wondering why he was making such a fuss. He wasn't there. Chris wasn't there, again. Wyatt couldn't help but feel that he kept failing his younger brother, over and over again, as they struggled against the demons that had been after them. It wasn't fair. Chris was so young, and it was always he who got caught in the crossfire. The demons came for Wyatt, the Twice-Blessed, yet Chris was always the one who got stuck in the middle. Thanks to him, Wyatt was still alive, but Chris would have to bear the scars of his self-sacrifice forever.

Now, it was happening all over again. Chris had disappeared from his room, not himself. Wyatt had no idea what his brother would do in that situation, but he knew for certain that the outcome wouldn't be a good one. The blond stopped, frozen in Chris's room. He stared at the mirror, where only a short while ago his brother had gazed at his reflection. Wyatt just couldn't react at the moment. Once more, something terrible had happened just under his nose, and he hadn't been able to stop it.

He could barely hear the steps of both his mother and Jennifer, who'd followed him out of the attic. Seeing the empty room and the state of the young male witch, they stopped in the doorway. Their expressions couldn't have been more different. While Piper projected worry for her younger son, fear for what would happen to him, and nervousness about how her elder son was reacting, Jennifer was the complete opposite. The young witch was ready, prepared as she hadn't been in quite a while. She'd been tracking seemingly random targets as Malachi sought to find the origin of strong magic. Now that he'd found it, she had the feeling that he would do anything to remain close to it. That meant that as soon as he showed his face, Jennifer would simply have to stick her dagger through his heart, the dagger which she'd gotten used to until she considered it merely an extension of her hand. As soon as the spirit was gone, her beloved would be avenged, and her task would be finished.

At the moment, though, that was the last thought going through the minds of the other magical beings in the room. The only voice in their head was frantically screaming the name of the young man once more. _Chris_, it was saying, _Chris is gone!_

He was gone, the room was empty. Piper let out a shuddering breath as she stepped further into the room and allowed herself to sit on the bed. It was at times like these when she thought it wasn't fair that she'd been given these powers and that she'd passed them on to the next generation. Her children deserved normal lives, and not what she'd given them. Sometimes, she felt as if she'd failed in her task as mother. She was supposed to protect her babies, and yet, because of her, they were in danger every minute of their lives, a danger which became glaringly real in situations such as these and the ones dealing with the Seer only a short time ago. Chris was gone, again, and now Piper didn't know what she could do about it, or how she could find her little Peanut again.

"Malachi has Chris." The truth was pronounced in a whisper by blond man in the room. He could barely believe it. He'd seen the mist floating out of the man in the parking lot, and he'd never suspected that it had gone into his brother. He knew Chris better than anybody, and yet, he hadn't been able to tell when his brother had started acting weird. Maybe if he'd realized this earlier, he would have been able to force the spirit out, before it took Chris away… before it made his little brother vanish again. But he hadn't. He hadn't noticed the signs, and now he would have to pay for it.

He turned to Jennifer, a strange look on his face. His blue eyes burned with an intensity that was rarely seen, even when on the deadliest of demon hunts. This was a look he reserved only for special cases: when a member of his family was put in danger. When that happened, Wyatt would not rest until they were back, safe and sound. He had to find his brother. "How did you find Malachi before?" he asked her.

His voice seemed to hold a tone of authority, and, despite herself, Jennifer felt her back straightening as she gave him an immediate answer. "I scry for him. He's usually not that hard to find." Jennifer grimaced. "But now that he's gotten the power to orb I don't think it's going to be that easy." With that ability, he would be able to appear somewhere and disappear within the frame of just a few seconds, making him untraceable.

Wyatt groaned inwardly, but his mother wasn't as bothered by the news as he was. "But Chris is strong. His spirit wouldn't have been drowned that easily," Piper said, seeming much stronger now that she knew that she had to search for her lost son. "Chris is still inside of there, inside of his body, I'm sure of it."

Jennifer shrugged under Piper's potent gaze. She honestly had never worried about the other people who'd been possessed by the evil spirit, not since her fiancé, at least. Ever since him, it seemed that everyone else's souls were just collateral damage. It was a cold view of the world that Jennifer had, but it had kept her sane during the many months that she'd been after this being. "It's possible that he's still alive in there, I guess. If he's really as strong as you say he is." She did not voice her inner thoughts. _If he's really as strong as all that, why wasn't he able to fight Malachi off? Why didn't he force the spirit out of him?_

Ignorant to Jennifer's inner questions, Piper turned to Wyatt. "You see? Your brother's still in there, and if he's still there, you should still be able to sense him." The Halliwell Matriarch knew better than anyone about the bond that the brothers seemed to share. Sometimes it was even like they read each other's minds. For a while, they'd seemed to be growing apart, but the recent events had thrown them together with a vengeance. If anybody could find Chris, it was Wyatt.

Wyatt briefly closed his eyes, pulling on the special link that he shared with the younger man. He had special links with most of his family, and was able to access them at will. At the moment, though, he was just searching for the familiar brand of magic, the familiar voice and personality, everything that made Chris himself. He grasped for it, pulled at it, but didn't receive an answer. Frantically, he tugged on the line even harder. Still, there was nothing. With a gasp, he opened his eyes. "I can't sense him. He must be blocking me or in the Underworld."

"It doesn't matter," Jennifer said, pulling the dagger out of her pocket carefully. "We don't have to find him." She seemed to start having a plan in mind.

Piper, however, was oblivious to that as she turned on the woman and screamed, "What do you mean we don't have to find him? He's my baby! We have to save him!" She couldn't believe that this witch would be so callous as to leave her younger son in the grips of a being such as Malachi. It was downright cruel, and if this woman thought that Piper would take it calmly, she was extremely wrong.

Jennifer merely looked annoyed at the interruption, but she didn't voice her objections. Instead, she continued as if the frantic interjection had never been made. She didn't want to annoy a Charmed One after all. "I know Malachi," she said earnestly, "I've been hunting him for ages, and if it's one thing that I'm sure of, is that he's going to come back. He never actually got what he came looking for anyway."

As she spoke, she looked at Wyatt in the eyes. He knew what she meant. He nodded. "Me," he said. "He wants me, and he's going to come back to get me." It was a terrible truth, but it had to be mentioned.

"So all we have to do is be ready for him when he returns," the young woman said, her teeth glinting in her smile. The sparkles her teeth made matched those of the dagger, giving it a bloodthirsty gleam. "We're going to need a plan."

* * *

(A/N) So, now Chris has disappeared, everyone has accepted that he is possessed, and they have to come up with a plan to save him from Malachi. What do you think the plan will be? Will they all even agree on the same plan? And what is Malachi doing in the meantime? Questions, more questions! I just love knowing what you guys think will happen later on! Oh, and btw, Happy Halloween! I think I timed this story well, don't you? Or, sort of well...

Anyway, thanks to those who added this to their Faves and Alerts. Super special thanks to those who reviewed: darcie-magicae-anima, dragon lover, and Fanycharmed! I hope you guys got a lot of Halloween candy! And, please please review this chapter, lemme know what you liked or didn't like. And, I'll see you all next week! Fill up the sad little box! Bye!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Malachi forced Chris's unwilling body to orb into the Underworld. As the bright blue orbs gave way to his body shape once more, the spirit relished the feeling of the magical mode of transportation. No more would he have to drive or walk to get to places, when he could just simply orb there. It was even better than shimmering or blinking. Although those were also good methods of transportation, orbing truly offered access to every place; not only the Underworld and Earth, but the Higher Realms. While the celestial areas were usually barred to most people, those with the ability to orb had instant access. The Elders had made a mistake when allowing that rule to take form, as they hadn't counted on the many attempts on Whitelighters' lives just to gain the ability to appear up where anyone who wasn't angelic in soul and mind wasn't allowed.

Still, even with the ability to orb, Malachi had no intention of going to the Higher Realms at the moment. That place was reserved for later on, after he'd taken possession of the Charmed Manor, once the Twice-Blessed and other powerful witches were in his power. To achieve that, though, he first had to assemble a demon army. That particular task provided a difficulty that many forces of evil had previously faced. Demons were notoriously proud and solitary creatures, most of which preferred to work alone or exclusively only with their own kind. They wouldn't readily accept someone ordering them around and telling them what to do, especially someone sheathed in the body of the younger Charmed son: a boy who'd managed to defeat the previous Source of All Evil. To _convince_ those demons to follow his lead, Malachi would have to take special measures, most of which involved violence.

As he burst into yet another empty cave, he exhaled in frustration. The Charmed Ones had done their duty well, a little too well. They'd managed to diminish the demon population significantly, and although it made the lives of the women a lot easier, it made potential army leaders such as Malachi work that much harder to recruit their soldiers. Luckily, the Charmed Ones had mostly managed to destroy the inferior brand of demons, those who were stupid enough to face the witches without a solid plan and knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses. The brilliant strategists and more powerful demons had escaped the wrath of the good force, and were probably quietly biding their time, planning their rise. Unfortunately, they'd managed to hide themselves from any potential attacker, which was why Malachi wouldn't be able to find them, unless he modified his plans a bit.

Calling on the orbing power once more, Malachi took care to appear in the middle of one of the stone hallways, startling a lower-level demon that had been scurrying along on some important business or another. The red demon frowned for a moment, shocked at the sudden appearance, before raising a hand and calling on his acid-launching powers. Malachi forced Chris's face into a smile, before using his 'borrowed' telekinetic abilities to launch the spray right back in the demon's face. The creature shrieked, curling up on itself as it felt his own attack thrown back. The spirit grinned, thrusting out a hand and slowly pressing his thumb and index together in a pinching motion. The demon stopped and scrabbled at his throat instead as his airway was slowly cut off.

"Now tell me," Malachi spoke in a deep voice, much deeper than the young man's body was accustomed to making, "where can I find some upper-level demons?" He was enjoying the look of pure terror and hate on the meaningless creature's face. Malachi enjoyed causing those feelings, and whether it was in faces of good or evil, he didn't care. He was just cruel, and he'd discovered that evil was readily accepting of this kind of display of power. That made his life much easier as he worked to gain more power than he had.

The demon choked, making a rasping noise. He was probably trying to answer, but Malachi didn't ease up until the being's eyes were nearly bursting out of their sockets for lack of air; and then he only allowed a thin wisp of oxygen to enter the tortured lungs. "They're in the deeper chambers," the bedraggled demon whispered, not strong enough to make a louder noise. "Near to where the last Source was." His dark eyes glinted slightly as the pressure began to increase. "I can lead you to them," he pleaded.

Malachi made a disgusted face before closing his fist entirely and turning it to face the ceiling in a single violent motion. The demon screamed as his inner organs were crushed and turned inside out. Malachi had learned Chris's talent well, and was now using it as much as possible. The creature finally exploded into a small ball of fire, leaving only ashes behind. Malachi wiped his hands off on his clothes, grimacing. Now that he had his information, he'd had no further use of the demon. Demons didn't usually beg, as that one had begun to do. When he'd seen that, Malachi had realized that it was a worthless and powerless creature, not even suitable for licking his shoes clean. So, he'd simply disposed of it. Now, he was off to look for some better, more powerful, servants. He'd call them allies to their faces, but, in Chris's mind, he was free to think whatever he wished, with only a suppressed soul there to hear about it.

A grin on his face, the young man orbed out, deeper into the Underworld. He'd soon find what he'd come for.

-)-(-

A swirl of orbs suddenly appeared, interrupting the meeting that a powerful clan of demons was having around a stone table. They recovered from their surprise soon enough and launched their individual attacks towards the mass of orbs. The attacks were effectively blocked, some of them launched back towards their senders. A couple of the demons shrieked as they disintegrated. The others ran for cover, using their powers to keep the intruder from harming them.

Finally, the orbs finished taking form and the shape of a young man was seen. One of the demons hissed as it recognized the younger Charmed son, standing there in all his glory. It threw an energy ball at the witch, hoping to get rid of him. The brown-haired man's strangely colored eyes merely glinted and the ball was thrown back. The demon ducked just in time, about to take another measure to rid itself of the witch. All of the demons in the room, however, were surprised as the young man raised his hands and cleared his throat. "I'm not here to fight," he said to them, his deep voice uncharacteristic of him. "I'm here to recruit you in killing the Charmed Ones."

There was a moment when silence reigned, before a couple of muffled snorts of laughter sounded. "Why should we believe you?" one of the braver demons demanded. "You're the Charmed boy, you killed the Source!" The other demons nodded in agreement, waiting to hear the explanation yet prepared to vanquish the force of good.

The boy glared, his usually green eyes glistened silver. "I am not the Charmed boy," he growled out. He grabbed a nearby demon by the throat. "Tell me, what color are my eyes?" Malachi used Chris's telekinetic strength to empower his grip on the creature, making his hold even tighter.

The demon gasped slightly. He'd never admit to it, but the look in the boy's eyes intimidated him quite a bit. "Silver," he hissed out. "Your eyes are silver." As his throat was released, he collapsed to the ground and coughed, trying to regain his breath.

"Silver," the boy repeated. "I am not the Charmed boy, I am Malachi, the spirit." The demons which had ducked for cover began to emerge from their hiding places. They looked at the young man curiously, wondering if he was telling the truth.

"I thought Malachi had died," one of them spat out. Its face was set into a leer that promptly froze as the eerie silver eyes stared back at him.

"I did not die. I have been possessing witches for years now." Malachi turned to the rest of the group. "I have my eye set on a prize, and, with your help, I will be able to get it."

"Why would we be interested in helping you?" A shape, hooded and cloaked, stepped out from behind the mass of demons. The others seemed to defer to it, as it carried an air of authority around its person.

An evil grin appeared on Chris's face. "Simple," he said in that strange voice, "Because I'm going to possess the Twice-Blessed. With his powers, I can take control of the Underworld. When I am the Source, I will reward you."

Some of the demons looked dubious, but the cloaked being reached out a thin grey hand to shake the witch's. "Deal."

* * *

(A/N) Can I just say I had the best time ever writing this chapter? Malachi is a lot of fun to write, especially when he's in Chris. Maybe I'm just weird like that. I like writing Malachi, I like writing the Seer... am I the only one seeing a pattern here? Either way, this was a pretty fun chapter, especially because you've already seen what Piper, Wyatt, and Jennifer are planning (sort of), and now you see what Malachi/Chris is planning. It should be fun when they come together, shouldn't it?

Anyway, as usual, thanks to everyone who added this to their Faves, Alerts, and special awesome thanks to my two lovely reviewers: darcie-magicae-anima, and Fanycharmed! You guys are super awesome! It has not escaped my attention that reviews for this story have dropped, therefore, I have no choice but to resort to bribery. If you review, there is a possibility that a chocolate cake will appear in your lap. I won't say how it gets there, or when it does. Just know that, for some strange unknown and odd reason, when you post a review in the small little box under this story, the possibility of a chocolate cake appearing in your lap increases. Don't you want that cake? I know I do! Unfortunately, I cannot review my own story...

See you next week with the next chapter! Don't forget to review! Bye!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The Manor was quiet, a little too quiet. The silence that filled it wasn't peaceful, though. It seemed to be screaming into the ears of the witches who were standing in the middle of the conservatory, prepared for anything. Jennifer had made it clear, Malachi had only one objective in mind, and that was Wyatt. He would return in Chris's body to get what he'd come for. He would get the Twice-Blessed and all his powers if it was the last thing he did.

The trio had planned quickly. The newcomer had insisted on a full frontal assault, tricking Malachi into getting close and then using her power of invisibility to stab him when he least expected it. Obviously, Piper and Wyatt hadn't been very receptive of the plan. Despite being possessed by an evil spirit, it was still Chris's body, and if he was stabbed and killed, there was no certainty that he would be able to return like he had last time. Wyatt personally knew how difficult recovering from a knife wound could be, and he had no desire to put his little brother through that.

The two Halliwells had quickly improvised several potions. A few were to put Chris's body into a static state, unable to move or leave; others that would hopefully expel the spirit; and even a spell, hastily remembered, to put him to sleep. Jennifer thought they would all turn out to be useless, but she hadn't spoken her mind. She knew from reputation that the Charmed family was a tight-knit one, that would protect every single one of its members until their dying breath, and maybe even further. She couldn't understand that. Sure, she'd had a fiancé, and her every thought was turned to vengeance, but other than that, she couldn't imagine risking her life for anyone. There just didn't seem to be a point to die for somebody else. It was just useless, and she knew that the only way to destroy Malachi was to stab his host body through the heart. He'd made that abundantly clear when he'd first taken control of her beloved. Both Wyatt and Piper were just kidding themselves into believing they would destroy the spirit without destroying the younger Charmed boy. And, this assumption would just return to kick them in the butt.

That was why Jennifer was prepared. While the Twice-Blessed and his mother had worked to figure out a non-violent way to settle it all, Jennifer had been seeking out the best point for her to lurk in. She knew what Malachi would do; she'd been studying him for long enough that his methods had become amazingly clear. He would appear with an army of demons and approach Wyatt. He'd then possess the witch and become all-powerful, unless Jennifer was there to help it. As usual, he'd forget her and her 'simple' power until it was too late. And, at the moment when the athame entered his heart, he would die with the knowledge that the little witch he'd ruled out as being 'meaningless' had been the one to destroy him. It was all Jennifer could ask for.

So, despite thinking that both Wyatt and Piper had been ridiculous for believing they could rid Chris of the spirit without killing him, Jennifer was slightly satisfied with that fact. If they were trying to kill him, and then succeeded, Jennifer would never be able to get her revenge. She'd never be able to feel satisfied and happy, knowing that she'd managed to avenge the death and possession of her fiancé. She had to be the one to kill Malachi, it was the only way to rest easy.

"Ok, so this potion should kill the spirit when we get it out of Chris." Piper's voice brought Jennifer back to the present moment, and to the pending battle. The Halliwell matriarch was holding a small green vial. "I made it with some very powerful ingredients, and added some ground ghost-repelling items, so it should function as a spirit vanquishing potion." She set it down on the table with the others. Her older son was nodding.

"Let's go over it again," Piper continued. "As soon as Chris appears, I throw this potion at him to make him freeze." She waited for Wyatt and Jennifer to speak their parts.

Wyatt opened his mouth and continued. "Once he's frozen, Jennifer and I will take out any demons that he brings with him. As soon as that's done, we use the crystal cage and the spirit expelling potion." The cage had been Jennifer's idea. She'd been rather unhelpful with the potion-making, but had insisted on using the crystal cage to keep Malachi trapped and unable to find a new host. Both Piper and Wyatt had been unable to argue with her logic. "We orb Chris out and use the vanquishing potion, and we're good." Both the Halliwells seemed satisfied, while Jennifer just watched on, her eyes gleaming with doubts and hidden plans.

"It should work," Piper muttered to herself as she looked over the potions once more, checking and double-checking. Actually, by that point, it was quadruple-checking. She was worried that all their plans wouldn't work, and they would find themselves with no way to get the spirit out of Chris. But, despite all of Jennifer's urgings, she would not allow the witch to put a knife through her son's heart. She remembered Prue doing it once for her, but she would not risk it. It was her son, and she would exhaust every chance she had before even considering the dagger. Chris shouldn't have to die for the spirit to leave him. He shouldn't have. His fate couldn't be so.

"All we do now is wait," Jennifer mentioned, the first words she'd spoken for a long while. Both Wyatt and Piper seemed surprised to hear her speak after being silent for so long. Wyatt especially eyed her, wondering how much more there was to her that he didn't know. She seemed to be extremely determined, bordering on stubborn. She was also very driven, and as she'd planned with them, Wyatt couldn't deny that it had a sort of appeal to it. Somehow, the very qualities that made her appear cold, made her also very, well, sexy. And although Wyatt was kicking himself for thinking of that now, when his little brother was in danger, he just couldn't help it. He was a guy, after all, and he'd never come across a woman of that caliber. She was special, that was for sure.

"Yes, we wait," Piper said, determined to have the last word. She wasn't sure what to think of this woman who had come barging into their lives, bringing a spirit with her. Jennifer was just too vengeful and would not consider any other person in her plans. Piper could not imagine what the girl had gone through to make her so, but she just wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible, before she caused any more damage. In fact, if it was up to Piper she wouldn't be participating in the vanquish right now. Unfortunately, Wyatt had taken her side. They could do with another experienced witch, he'd mentioned. And, after all, she knew Malachi very well. Piper couldn't say no after that, but she'd promised herself that she would keep an eye on the witch, not only to protect Chris, but to protect the rest of her family.

The trio eyed each other, making sure not to let the other notice their interest. Each of them was measuring the other up, wondering how they would react, what they would do. While they waited, they wrote histories for the other person, wondering what made them so. They really didn't have to wait long, though.

-)-(-

Malachi licked his lips as he surveyed his demon army. After so many years of plotting and scheming, his plan would be coming to fruition. He'd never expected to actually get that far, and get a body with almost as many powers to match the Twice-Blessed. In a way, the cloud that was possessing the wrong person had a large silver lining. Even Malachi had to admit it: taking control of the younger Charmed brother had been a fortunate accident. There wasn't anybody closer to the Twice-Blessed, and it had allowed him to continue with even more caution. The body also afforded him protection from the rest of the Halliwells. The family connection was legendary, and Malachi knew they wouldn't risk hurting the spirit while he was still inside the young man. It was a stalemate, of sorts.

But Malachi had every intention of making his move now that the ball was in his field. His army was admirable, and his planning was perfect. The powerful demons he'd found had all collaborated fully, after the demonstration of his borrowed abilities and his promises to make them very powerful indeed. It was all going perfectly, and now it was time to set the plan into motion. "Let's go," Malachi intoned to the roomful of demons, and was rewarded by prompt shimmerings as they all headed up to the Halliwell Manor. Malachi smiled as he called upon Chris's orbs to transport him, brushing aside the weak protests from the soul still living within him. Nobody could stop him now.

* * *

(A/N) Ok, so nothing much happened in this chapter. Just setting stuff up for the next one, which will be epic, probably. There will be fighting, that I can promise you. Hopefully you didn't think this chapter was boring or anything. We got to see a little from both sides. Wyatt, Piper, and Jennifer are preparing for Malachi to arrive, and Malachi is amassing his demon army. This doesn't look good, especially since neither Piper nor Wyatt seem to know just how crazy both Malachi and Jennifer are. Well, maybe Malachi is a lot crazier than Jennifer, but that woman is a little too... um... let's use Piper's word: driven. Yup. She's an interesting character to write, of course, but it's just weird to think that way.

As usual, many many thanks to everyone who added this to their Alerts or Favorites! And super special awesome thanks to those people who reviewed: Kokoro E. Junnaya, darcie-magicae-anima, and Fanycharmed! You guys are spectacular!

And now that the chance of a chocolate cake has increased slightly, don't you want to make the chance go up even higher? Fill up the little box underneath, and a chocolate cake may appear in your lap! The chance is small, but it's there! And you want chocolate cake, right? I mean, who doesn't? See you next week!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

The silence that had previously filled the Halliwell Manor was shattered by the arrival of several demons as they shimmered into the magical home. Piper, Wyatt, and Jennifer instantly got to work, each of them using their respective powers to try and deflect the demon storm that seemed to be assailing them from every side.

Piper soon found out that, unfortunately, most of the demons she was facing were higher level demons, meaning that they couldn't be blown up quite easily. Instead of destroying their body parts one by one, which took too long, she decided to put her potions to good use instead. Luckily, she had prepared enough for the occasion. Several vials were thrown at the demons, and one by one, they were engulfed in flames and destroyed.

Those that weren't destroyed by the potions faced either Wyatt or Jennifer. Jennifer seemed to be a blond whirlwind. Her hair was flying around all over the place as she ducked and stabbed, her knife firmly in her hand. She kicked and dodged, dispatching demon after demon. She didn't seem to mind the dark blood and guts that covered her after a while, and actually seemed to be relishing the fight. Before, while they'd been waiting, she'd seemed anxious. Now that she was actually fighting, there was something peaceful in her face, much like there was a lot of grace to her movements. It seemed that being in motion pacified her, while she couldn't stand planning. It was that moment that was important, and before then and the aftermath had no matter.

Wyatt couldn't allow himself even a glimpse of the lovely demon-killer, lest he become distracted. He was using his valuable powers to reinforce the fear the demons had of him. With a power that even he still felt was a little too destructive to use, he forced the demons away. Usually, he would have stuck to using other powers, like his mother's explosive ones or the energy balls. But, due to the sheer numbers of the demons who's shimmered into the mansion, it was absolutely impossible to keep them at bay with anything but the shockwaves that destroyed everything, living or dead, in their path.

They required concentration, though, and Wyatt made sure to keep his back turned to both Piper and Jennifer. He couldn't risk hurting them, and he trusted both women with his life. He was certain that they would be able to protect him. He was especially sure that his mother would do absolutely everything in her power to keep him safe, mostly because he would be needed in the clean-up afterwards. The demons were making a disaster in the house, and somebody would have to clean that up. Hopefully, by then, they'd have Chris back and he would be able to assist Wyatt in carrying out all the reparations to the Manor.

Speaking of Chris, there was still no sign of him. Malachi hadn't yet made his entrance, which puzzled all three witches as they battled for their lives. They'd expected the controlling spirit to be at the forefront of the demons, leading the charge against the legendary home. And yet, he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Piper even began to wonder whether they'd misjudged Malachi and that the attack had nothing to do with the evil ghost.

A cry of pain suddenly rang through the conservatory, accompanied by the smashing of glass. Wyatt turned, despite himself, and saw Jennifer on the ground, having crashed against a table and knocked over a vase. She was struggling to stand as a demon stood above her. Wyatt launched an energy ball that effectively ended her assailant's life, and was rewarded by a smile. Wyatt smiled back, wondering at her beauty, before noticing that blood, red blood, not demon blood, was dripping down her torso. His eyes widened, and he began to walk to her. More demons appeared in front of him, however, and he struggled against them to get to the girl who was slowly and steadily bleeding out. With his blue eyes, he begged her to hang on as he dispatched the demons, which were only replaced by twice their number.

It was Jennifer who, despite her wounds, noticed the sudden arrival of Malachi. The orbs were unmistakable, and the young man with the silver eyes looked around before spotting Wyatt. The Twice-Blessed was turned away from him, though, and was unable to tell what was going on. Chris, controlled by Malachi, steadily walked to the most powerful witch. The demons parted to let him pass, keeping the other Halliwells occupied.

Malachi was soon standing behind Wyatt. The injured witch's weak cry wasn't enough to make the Twice-Blessed turn and notice how a strange silver mist was slowly being exhaled by pale lips. Silver eyes began to turn back into green as the spirit continued to vacate the body of Chris Halliwell, brother to the most powerful witch of all.

Wyatt did notice, however, as a flash of metal shone past him. A gurgling cry sounded in his ear, and he turned to notice his brother, green eyes blinking in surprise, as Chris fell to the ground. The silver mist remained hovering in the air over the body, uncaring about the host's probable demise. Its target was right in front of him, the one it had wanted for so many years.

So much pain was shown on Wyatt's face as, instead of walking to his brother like he wanted to so badly, he retreated. His love for his brother was surging inside of him, but it was battling the knowledge that if Malachi took possession of him he'd likely lay waste to the entire world. He was meant to control Excalibur, to be the next Future King of Good Magic. He couldn't allow the spirit to gain control of him and so take control of the world. The fact that the future of magic rested heavily on his shoulders kept him from running to his brother's side, heedless of his own safety. Wyatt felt as if he was betraying Chris as he backed away, but he had to hope that his brother would hang on for just a bit longer, just enough for the spirit to die.

With a flick of his fingers, Wyatt summoned a vial and threw it at the mist, which only dodged and flew above it, still approaching the witch. Piper noticed the danger and began to throw her own potions as well. The spirit seemed to know what to expect as it swerved and avoided them, finally arriving right before Wyatt. One of the potion's vapors rose and barely touched the ghost, but then the silver shape just moved out of the way. It knew what to expect from the family, it had been inside one of them after all.

As the spirit followed Wyatt, it began to dip down towards the ground, gathering together and becoming thicker and more visible. The mist seemed to take the shape of a man, and Wyatt was able to detect an evil smirk on its features before the mist froze, the face suddenly becoming a scream.

Wyatt glanced down and noticed he could see the faint shape of a knife through the smoky being, the tip still dripping with blood. The mist seemed to coalesce into a small grey ball, before it exploded in a blinding flash of light. As the light faded, Wyatt saw that Jennifer was holding the knife, and on her face was a look of satisfaction and happiness, a feeling that Wyatt hadn't detected on her until that moment. Her task had been completed.

With that, she sank to her knees, and Wyatt raised his hands and once more called upon his wave of destruction. The demons had mostly fled after seeing their leader dispatched of so spectacularly, and only a few stragglers remained to take out. Wyatt took care of them quickly, before he allowed himself to place a hand on Jennifer's side. His hand shone with the powers of healing, and color soon returned to her cheeks.

"I did it," she whispered, almost as if she was unable to believe it herself. Wyatt simply smiled back at her, knowing that she would finally be at peace. She'd avenged her fiancé, after so many years of having waited. It had finally happened, and from the look on her face Wyatt could see that never in her wildest dreams had Jennifer thought that she would reach that moment. She'd assumed that the spirit was more powerful than she was. And yet, she'd managed to vanquish it. She'd demonstrated that she was, indeed, a strong and capable witch.

* * *

(A/N) I'm sorry, you guys! I know I was supposed to have posted this yesterday, but please believe me when I say that I honestly forgot! In fact, I was out for most of the day so I wouldn't have been able to post it anyway. Still, it's up here now, and that's what matters, right? Anyway, now Malachi is dead. That's pretty cool, huh? But Chris has been stabbed by Jennifer and we don't know what has happened to him, and Jennifer is injured as well. Two more chapters after this, guys, and I promise I'll post them on Friday, like I was supposed to. I'm sorry, again!

As usual, thanks to everyone who added this to their Alerts or Favorites. You guys rock. And to those wonderfully fantastic people who reviewed: darcie-magicae-anima, and Fanycharmed. Anyway, please review this chapter, it's more interesting than the last one! And you never know, you might get a chocolate cake for your troubles! Or you could just let me know what's going on in your head, and that's cool too.

Now, I promise the next chapter shall be posted on Friday. I won't forget! Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it, I hope you ate a lot of turkey, stuffing, apple pie, etc. I know I did! Anyway, see you guys next week, and don't forget to review!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Wyatt," Piper's worried voice intruded on the moment the Twice-Blessed and the new witch were having together. Wyatt had just managed to save her life, but as he looked up, he noticed his mother cradling his little brother's head. In his eagerness to get to Chris, he stumbled and landed right next to him. Blood was gushing out of a wound in his chest. His eyes were open, and mercifully green. They blinked as they noticed Wyatt approaching, and a small smile covered his features.

"Figures that you'd fall for one of the girls who tries to kill me," he joked, the words barely making it past his white lips. He gasped in pain as Wyatt set his hand over the wound, and then gave a small sigh of relief as his brother began to heal him.

"And it figures you'd get possessed by a spirit when I'm trying to impress her," Wyatt replied, watching as the stab wound closed up before his very eyes. There were times when the Twice-Blessed was amazed with his own healing capabilities. They usually managed to save people, no matter how close to death or how seriously injured they were. They were something to be grateful for time and time again, especially since Chris seemed to insist on getting himself in danger nowadays.

Chris's eyes flickered open as Piper carefully set his head on the ground. The dark-haired matriarch was walking over to Jennifer, who was starting to stand up, her dagger still cradled in her hand. To say that the expression on Piper's face was angry was putting it mildly. She was furious, extremely so.

"How dare you stab my son?" she demanded of the weaker witch. "We protected you, promised to help you, and this is how you repay us?" She waved her hands angrily as she spoke, and Jennifer flinched, hoping that she wouldn't be blown up, accidentally or on purpose.

The two brothers eyed each other for a moment. Chris had a quizzical grin on his face, and he seemed to be telling Wyatt to go and defend his new lady love. Ignoring the laughter in his little brother's eyes, the Twice-Blessed stood and stepped between his mother and Jennifer, heedless of the danger he was in. Yes, he was blessed with many abilities and was exceedingly powerful, but when Piper got this mad, even he had reason to shake in his shoes. Piper's anger was quite legendary.

"Mom, please. She was only doing what she thought was right," Wyatt said, looking at his mother with a serious look on his face.

Piper was incredulous. She'd gotten the feeling that her older son had developed a crush on this witch, but how could he be on her side after what she'd done? Jennifer had tried to kill Chris, her younger son and Wyatt's little brother. Piper's anger only escalated. "Why are you defending her? She stabbed Chris!" Piper had half a mind to ground her elder son then and there, if it hadn't been for Chris's voice interrupting her.

"Yeah, but I gotta tell you, it feels good to have Malachi out of me." Chris had seen the look on his brother's face, and although he was quite annoyed by the way things were starting to turn out, he had a feeling that Wyatt felt differently about this girl than about the other flings he usually had. But, since Jennifer had put Piper on the warpath, there was almost nothing that could stop her. Chris was going to have to do his best, and if that meant including a little white lie, so be it. "If it hadn't been for Jennifer, I'd probably still be possessed." Let Piper and everyone else think that the spirit had still been in his body when he'd been stabbed. That would just make it easier for everybody. Chris shuddered, partly for effect, and partly in memory.

It worked, sort of. Piper went to Chris's side and rubbed his back comfortingly. "Oh, Peanut, I'm so glad to have you back." Despite keeping a motherly tone with her son, her eyes were still shooting glares at Jennifer. If looks could kill… well, let's just say Jennifer would have long ceased to exist. "Do you want anything? Some tea, maybe?"

Piper finally turned her eyes, now softened, to Chris. She remembered what it was like being possessed, and it left the host feeling quite terrible. It was horrible to be unable to control your body, to witness an intruder take complete control of every action and thing you did. Piper could relate.

And now that she'd turned away, putting her back to Jennifer, as if the other witch was no longer important, Piper was now making sure that her son was in one piece. Over her head, Chris could see Wyatt mouthing something. The younger man frowned slightly, before mouthing something back. '_You owe me, big time.'_

Wyatt smirked, and gave Chris a little wave. The younger son sighed and did his best to look frail and sickly. Wyatt wanted a moment with Jennifer, and that was what Chris was going to give him. The blond had just saved his life, after all. It wasn't hard to pull the invalid look off, especially since he was already pale from the blood loss and the shock of being dispossessed. "Yeah, that sounds fine," Chris said quietly, even managing to make his voice quaver.

Wyatt rolled his eyes at how thickly his brother was laying it on. Piper would completely fall for it, though. Chris had opened his big green eyes, making them look vulnerable and teary. The kid was a great actor, Wyatt had to hand him that. Often when they'd done something wrong when they were younger, Chris would blink his big eyes and somehow the blame would all fall on Wyatt. It wasn't terrible, especially since it usually turned out to be Wyatt's idea in the first place, but the elder Halliwell was occasionally surprised at how well the 'little brother act' could work.

"And maybe you could make some of your special cookies later," Chris was saying, and Wyatt snapped back to listen to him. "I know we're out of gingerbread, but maybe Wy can get some when he heads over to pick up Mel." Piper, who was beginning to head over to the kitchen, missed the prankish grin that Chris launched at his older brother. "I'm still feeling weak, maybe I could go upstairs and lie down?" Piper seemed to agree with his every word.

Wyatt grumbled to himself as he realized that his brother would get away with taking a nap and snacking all afternoon, while he would be stuck with cleaning up the mess the demons had left behind, picking up their little sister, getting even more groceries, and probably having to hand out the treats to the children. He wasn't even sure if it was worth it anymore! Just for a few minutes with a girl he'd have to suffer all that?

But as he looked at Jennifer, he knew that it was completely worth it. She looked so stunning, despite everything that happened. She was still covered in blood, not her own, but she managed to pull it off in a way that Wyatt had never seen before. She was determined and proud, beautiful and regal. It was a wonderful combination, and one Wyatt was determined to have all to himself.

Jennifer seemed to have other ideas. She'd watched Piper's anger, and she'd hung her head in shame. Now that everything was over, she knew that she hadn't always done the right thing and everything was crashing down around her. And when she looked up and saw the most powerful witch in the world staring at her with his blue eyes, it was more than she could handle.

"I-I have to go," she stammered and hurriedly backed away. Tucking her dagger into her belt, she bolted, running for the door and out into the street, leaving Wyatt, confused and hurt.

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(A/N) Ta da! And after this, there's one chapter left! So, Wyatt has forgiven Jennifer for trying to kill Chris, Piper is super angry, and Chris is a great actor. I'm not gonna lie, I had a blast writing this chapter. It was absolutely hilarious to write angry Piper, to have Chris blink his 'big green eyes' and act all weak and stuff, and Wyatt wanting just a few moments with his new 'lady love'. It was a lot of fun.

As usual, thanks to those people who added this to their Alerts or Faves, and super special thanks to those especially awesome people who reviewed: Fanycharmed, darcie-magicae-anima, and Algrandz. You guys are super awesome!

The next chapter, the final chapter, will be posted in one week. However, do not despair. I promise I will post another story after this one! It may take a while, since it's still in the writing process, but there will be another story. Oh, and there will also be a series of oneshots that I've been promising Fanycharmed, so you guys can keep an eye out for those too. Anyway, please review if you can! That chocolate cake is still there! Let me know your thoughts, and I will see you next week! Bye!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Wyatt watched as Jennifer ran away from him, not able to believe everything that had happened. She'd appeared out of nowhere, first threatening to kill them and then telling them her complete story. It had been a lot to swallow, but Wyatt had never doubted her for a second. It was also especially hard to disbelieve her after he'd seen some of the facts for himself. Chris's possession had most definitely not been a trick.

While they'd been searching for a way to save Wyatt's little brother, Wyatt had thought that they'd become a lot closer, and then, when he'd healed her, he'd thought he'd caught a glimpse of yet another side to the witch that hadn't surfaced before. With that look, Wyatt had completely fallen, head over heels. As he watched Jennifer leave the Manor, he decided that there was no way that he'd just leave it there. She was the first woman he felt this way about, and he wasn't going to give her up without a fight.

Unconsciously clenching his fists, Wyatt orbed out to the front lawn, instinctively knowing that nobody else was around to see. He'd sensed that Jennifer was still there, but as he orbed in, he hadn't realized how quickly she was moving. Wyatt was hit with an invisible force, and he fell down on his back, something on top of him.

As he propped himself up, Jennifer became visible once more. Her face came into focus and Wyatt realized that there were tear tracks on her face. He reached up a strong hand and brushed one of the tears off of her cheek. "What's wrong?" he murmured. He'd come out to prove that he was good enough to go out with a person like her, to convince her to date him. But, as he saw the sadness in her eyes, he realized that she had been through a lot. He still really liked _liked_ her, though, and he was going to make every effort to understand, so maybe they could be together.

Jennifer just pressed her lips together and pulled herself off of Wyatt. However, she seemed to be lacking the strength to stand up and instead remained lying on the grass next to the Twice-Blessed witch. She sighed and coughed, trying to hide the fact that she was crying.

Wyatt felt rather uncomfortable. He wasn't used to people crying. Sure, his mother and sister cried, along with his aunts and many cousins, but he usually didn't have to deal with them. It was lucky he had so many other relatives to direct the crying people to. Now, though, he was going to have to manage it all by himself. He awkwardly put his hand on Jennifer's shoulder, meaning for it to be comforting.

Instead, Jennifer only cried harder, and Wyatt was beginning to despair when she spoke again. "It's just… I've been tracking Malachi for so long, and now it's all over," she sobbed. "I hadn't allowed myself to feel anything since my fiancé's death, and now, it's all coming back." Jennifer sniffed and wiped at her eyes roughly. "I've been so horrible. I've done terrible things."

"Hey now, I'm sure whatever you did wasn't that bad," Wyatt replied, tightening his hold on her shoulder slightly. He wasn't sure what it meant, but his father had done it to him a bunch of times when he'd been upset, so it must work in some way. Jennifer didn't seem to realize it, though, as she sobbed, much louder than she had before.

"That's where you're wrong. It was bad. I let revenge take over my life." Jennifer turned to look at Wyatt, her eyes red and puffy from her crying spell. "I murdered innocents in my search for Malachi." Her voice broke as she continued. "I was so eager to vanquish him that I started to not care if I got an innocent instead."

Wyatt almost pulled his arm back from the woman as she admitted her guilt. However, he remembered how not even the best witches could save every innocent. He didn't believe that it had been Jennifer's fault that people had died while being possessed. She wouldn't murder them in cold blood. She had just been through a really rough time.

Wyatt was well aware that he was making excuses for Jennifer, but he couldn't help the way he felt. Even as she sobbed and her face became even more puffy and pink, she looked beautiful. Wyatt couldn't help but compare her with all the other women he'd been with. Jennifer was just so much more genuine, and she might actually be able to understand him in a way that the others never had. She'd been through a lot, she had magic, and she could defend herself in a fight. If that wasn't perfect for Wyatt, he didn't know what was.

Instead of using the safe shoulder-petting tactic, Wyatt decided to risk it and go deeper. He put his arm around her, keeping her steady, as he spoke. "Look, you were scared, you were angry, and you were trying to save everybody from an evil spirit. You did all you could and more to keep us safe. You're entitled to feel sad, but you just saved a bunch of people today. If it hadn't been for you, Malachi would have taken control of my body and probably destroyed the world." Wyatt smiled at Jennifer, whose tears had momentarily slowed. "You did so much, and you should be proud."

Jennifer nodded cautiously, and watched the Twice-Blessed carefully. "So, you don't mind that I stabbed your brother?" she asked.

Wyatt paused, pondering how to answer this. "I know you thought you were doing the right thing," he finally replied. "But, next time, try to be a little more careful with him. I've already nearly lost him way too many times in the last few months." That was putting it mildly. Recently, Chris had developed a knack of getting into trouble, and one that Wyatt was determined to break.

"I am sorry about that, you know," Jennifer said honestly. "I just didn't know what other way to get rid of Malachi, though. Stabbing him was the only way." She had truly believed that. She'd never gotten the spirit to vacate a body any other way.

"I know, but next time, maybe just keep the dagger away until there's no other alternative."

The corners of Jennifer's lips twitched upwards, as if turning into a smile. "There's going to be a next time?" she asked.

Wyatt smiled, thinking of what he'd just said. "Well, I don't know about a demon hunt, but I was hoping that maybe, we could do something a little less violent first. Get to know each other and stuff."

Jennifer had stopped being serious and actually broken out into a grin. "I don't know. You learn an awful lot about a person when you're trying to vanquish a demon together."

Wyatt laughed. "In that case, I think we know each other well enough already!" He quieted slightly and eyed Jennifer carefully. "No, seriously, I was wondering if I could have your number and maybe take you out sometime."

The woman was uncertain of what to think. For so long she'd put her life on hold to take care of the spirit that had killed the one man she'd loved. Now, though, it was over. Many years had gone by, and her fiancé was gone. Jennifer began to feel as if she might love again, and maybe take control of her life once more. Maybe going out with Wyatt would help her to do that. He was very attractive and charming, and there was something about him that pulled her closer.

"Well, that would be nice, but there's a bit of a problem." Her eyes were twinkling as she responded. "I haven't had a phone in a while, so you wait here while I go get one. Then I'll give you the number."

She began to move as if to stand up, but Wyatt stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Hey, you're not getting away from me that easy," he joked. "You don't need a phone to give me a call," he said, referencing his whitelighter abilities.

Jennifer smiled and pressed a brief kiss onto the Twice-Blessed lips. She then pulled away and stood up. "Ok, then I'll call you soon," she said as she began to walk away. Wyatt watched her leave, feeling quite differently this time. After a minute, once Jennifer had long disappeared, he headed into the house. He heard Piper's voice calling him, and he groaned. This would be a Halloween he would never forget, in both a good and bad way. Hopefully, though, there would be more good than bad!

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(A/N) About this chapter, I don't usually enjoy romance at all, but I figure it's nice every once in a while. Now, keep in mind that my specialty is writing about family and friendship, so romance is hard for me to write. I will try my best, though, but I'll probably keep it small and brief in most cases. Anyway, that's the end of this story, but, as usual, don't despair! There will be one after this, trust me! For now, it's titled Dark Paths, but won't be published for a while since... well... I'm actually not finished writing it yet. A couple of oneshots will be posted soon, however. Some of them inspired by really awesome people on here, and others inspired by the cuteness of the Charmed brothers. Oh, and in case you guys hadn't noticed, I'm giving cover images to all my stories! Yaay! I edit them myself, so they're not very good, but at least I'm having fun with them.

Thanks to everyone who stuck with this story until the end, everyone who added this to their Faves or Alerts, or even me to their Faves and Alerts. It's such an honor. Special thanks to each and every one of my reviewers, especially Fanycharmed, who was also the only reviewer for the last chapter. I love all you guys! You make me happy!

This is the last time you get the choice to review this story, so go ahead and do it now! Who knows? Maybe that chocolate cake I've been promising you will finally appear! Or, maybe something even better... Another Charmed story, perhaps? A oneshot? It's all up to you, so go ahead and review!

And, I will see you in the next story. It will probably be a oneshot, but I'll see you then! TTFN!


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